
GspghtK^.. 



CiQEXRIGIir DEPOSm 



AMBULANCING ON THE 
FRENCH FRONT 




ON THE JOB, DAY AND NIGHT. 

A picture of the author, one of the first Americans to serve aS 
an ambulance man on the French front. 



"i^MBULANCING ON 

THE French Front 



By 

EDWARD R. COYLE 



Illustrated 



\^ 




"BPC 



New York 
BRITTON PUBLISHING COMPANY 



1^- 







Copyright, 1918 
Brixton Publishing Company, Inc. 



v/' 



Made in U. S. A. All rights reserved. 



JUL 17 1918 



'i^ 



©CI.A499739 



v^ 



TO MY MOTHER 

Whose parting gift was a miniature photo- 
graph of her own dear self upon which she had 
inscribed these words : 

My only child who is given to the Cause of 
Liberty and Freedom. May God guide him 
safely so that he may help those who are un- 
fortunate. 

His Mother's Prayer. 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE 

When I went to France there was no thought 
in my mind that I should ever write a book on 
the subject of my experiences over there. On 
my return, however, many friends besieged me 
for details of the great war, which had come 
under my observation while serving in the 
Ambulance Corps on the French front. It was 
easy to infer from the eagerness of all that real 
news was in demand, none seeming to tire of 
asking questions and listening to what I had to 
say in reply. From these impromptu conver- 
sations occurring day after day, I began to 
realize how much I had really experienced dur- 
ing my stay abroad. Consequently, when 
urged to write a book for the benefit of the 
general public, I consented on the theory that 
the more we Americans know about true con- 
ditions in the War Zone the surer we are to win 
victory from the most ruthless enemy ever 



Author's Preface 



known to mankind. I make no pretense of 
being a writer, but I know what I saw and I 
hope to make myself understood on the sub- 
ject of war as it is to-day on the firing Hne. 
Much in the way of rumor has passed for fact 
in America. Propaganda has confused the 
public mind. The more fact that leaks through, 
not calculated to send aid and comfort to the 
foe, the better for all of us. In this, my first 
attempt at writing, and possibly my last, I 
intend to give facts. Matters that should not 
be disclosed for military reasons will, of 
course, be reserved for historians of another 
day. 

Edward R. Coyle. 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I How I Came to Go 15 

II Ambulance Work 24 

III Sandricourt 31 

IV Medical Care 43 

V A Lesson I Learned 49 

VI A Visit to Paris 54 

VII "The Front" 61 

VIII Massing Before Verdun ... 67 

IX The Siege of Verdun .... yy 

X A Visit to Baccarat 104 

XI Homeless Children 109 

XII Afternoon Tea 115 

XIII "Petit Post" 122 

XIV Badonviller the Martyr . . . 126 
XV "Snipers" at Work 135 

XVI "Kamerad!" . 141 

XVII The Art of Camouflage . . . 151 

XVIII Spies and Their Work .... 159 



Contents 



CHAPTER PAGE 

XIX Letters from the Front . . . 174 

XX Eyes of the Army 190 

XXI Anti-Aircraft Batteries . . . 199 

XXII Hand Grenade Work 205 

XXIII The American Y. M. C. A. ... 215 

XXIV Rear-Line Diversions .... 225 
XXV "Food Will Win the War" . . 229 

XXVI Homeward Bound ...... 235 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

Picture of Author — Frontispiece ' 
The Wagon of Mercy Loading Up '" 
A Camouflage Road Made to Order ^ 
A Natural Camouflage Road v 
A "Load-Up and Getaway'' — Wounded for the Hos- 
pital v^ 
The Bivouac of the Dead ^ 
Where the Souls of Men Are Calling ^ 
A French Gun Much Respected by Fritz V 
German Sacrilege — Christ's Figure Decapitated ^ 
Ruins of the Church Containing the Figures ^ 
Sacked and Burned ^ 
Badonviller Destroyed by the Germans • 
Sixty Feet from a German Front-Line Trench <^ 
Trying on the Gas Masks ^ 
Badonviller Barricaded for Street Fighting ' 
Awaiting Orders Behind the Front ^ 
Bombing the Hun u 

French Infantry En Route to the Trenches / 
A Small "Persuader" at Verdun / 
Field Telephone Station Controlling the Shell Fire / 
Ruins Along the Lorraine Front •^ 
A Quick Lunch at the Front •^ 
First Aid Dug-Out — Waiting for a Call v 



AMBULANCING ON THE 
FRENCH FRONT 



Ambulancing on the French 
Front 

CHAPTER I 

HOW I CAME TO GO 

If you like excitement Td say take a steamer 
for France — and join the Ambulance Corps 
on the French front overlooking Verdun. A 
few steps forward to the front-line trenches 
and you're in the zone of what the lamented 
Charles Frohman described as "The Great 
Adventure/' 

I was there and I bless my lucky stars that 
I'm home again for a while with a whole skin 
and a large and growing appetite that I brought 
back with me. I served as an ambulance man. 
a sort of scene-shifter in the wings of the great- 
est tragedy ever staged. Now, as I write, it is 

15 



16 Ambulancing on the French Front 

running in its fourth year. My duties required 
me to bring back from the battlefield the 
maimed and dying, and deposit them in places 
of comparative safety. Also to the sheltered 
huts, further back, where first aid could be 
given. 

If anyone had told me, on January i, 191 7, 
that in less than sixty days I would be over 
there on the French front, taking a minor part 
in the biggest show on earth, I probably would 
have slammed back at him, "Quit your kid- 
ding." Nevertheless, it all happened — I went, 
and of my own volition, joined the Ambulance 
section. of the French Army, and stayed in the 
game until my own country took over that serv- 
ice. Then I came home for a visit, having 
served practically nine months, but I am going 
back soon, this time with Uncle Sam — I have 
already enlisted. 

Just how I made up my mind to go in the 
first place is yet something of a mystery. Here 
I was in New York, holding down a good posi- 
tion at generous pay. New York is always 




A Quick Lunch at the Front 




First Aid Dug-Out — ^Waiting for a Call 



How I Came to Go 17 

entertaining, and at intervals my work took me 
out over the country to other cities, under first- 
class conditions. Therefore, it was not from 
lack of novelty or interest in my own affairs 
that I went forth in search of trouble. 

As I think back upon it I presume I must 
have talked myself into going. Notwithstand- 
ing that we, over here, were seemingly out of 
the war, everybody I knew, at home or on my 
travels, talked war, and I did also. 

While dining with a friend one evening in 
a New York restaurant we got into the war 
talk game rather earnestly. He was sure he: 
would go over were it not that he couldn't pos- 
sibly pass the test. 

"If it was Uncle Sam that was fighting I 
might try to go anyway,'' said he. 

It was at this point in our conversation that 
I heard myself say: 

''Well, I think Til go and help France; she 
was always good to us." 

My voice sounded strange to my own ears as 
I said this, and the next instant our eyes met. 



18 Amhulancing on the French Front 

Bing ! I realized that I had started something 
down deep within me. Also that a hand 
reached forth across the table which I took 
into my own. It was the hand of James A. 
Gilmore, "Fighting Jim/^ as he is affection- 
ately known to millions of baseball fans all over 
the world. 

''Bully for you!" he shouted. "What part 
of the service will you go in for? Army — 
Navy — Red Cross ?'' There was a wistful look 
in his eyes. 

"Red Cross, I think." 

I heard myself say this, but, as a matter of 
fact, I had no thought whatever of what I 
would do. To tell the honest truth, I felt as if 
I had jumped off of the Brooklyn Bridge. Not 
that the idea frightened me. Nothing like 
that. If I had made a real decision, and I be- 
gan to feel that I had, it didn't seem to disturb 
me unduly. There was no reason why I 
shouldn't go. If there was a reluctant feeling 
it was on account of my Mother — but I knew 
her too well to believe that she would hold me 



How I Came to Go 19 

back from such a righteous cause. As to my 
Father, why he'd boost the game. I was sure 
of that. Anyhow the conviction grew that I 
had cast the die, and by the look on the face of 
my friend I knew that I had committed myself. 

For the next half hour I sat quietly munch- 
ing my food and listening the while to my good 
friend opposite. It was during this time that 
he showed his loyalty to the great cause. I 
was told to outfit myself and spare no expense 
— he would help foot the bill. A few days 
later, when I was all but on the point of sail- 
ing away toward the great whirlpool of disas- 
ter, he and other good friends presented me 
with an auto-ambulance, fully equipped. 

Proud! grateful! I thought I'd drop dead 
with joy before the day came to walk the gang- 
way of the big ship that was to bear me away 
from peace to war. 

Recalling my sudden decision to enter the 
war, on many occasions I have asked other 
Americans why they volunteered. In no in- 
stance did any of them give a solid reason right 



20 Amhulancing on the French Front 

off the reel. I believe the answer given by a 
young Philadelphian, who was a member of 
our party on board ship, fairly sums up most 
cases of volunteer enlistment. 

*'Damifino/' said he, with a shrug of his 
well-set shoulders and a merry twinkle in his 
eyes. 

Same here — ^his answer is mine. I don^t 
know why I went, but I am glad I did. IVe 
seen things that horrified me — that terrified 
me. I have been within arm's length of the 
Grim Reaper many times, but I got used to it 
all. It became a part of the day's work, but 
never to the point where I failed to shoot the 
gas into my motor in order to get out of reach 
of the ''big ones" that flew my way. 

But I'm getting ahead of my story. After 
making my decision to go I did as everyone 
else had to do — saw Eliot Norton, a New 
York lawyer who contributed his time in pass- 
ing upon the qualifications of the men desiring 
to enter this branch of service in connection 
with the Red Cross. He seemed glad to have 



How I Came to Go 21 

me go; therefore, I soon found myself busily- 
engaged in purchasing supplies and equipment 
generally. I also started to "pulling the 
strings" for my passport. In fact, I went to 
Washington in order to get quick action, so 
that I could sail on a French liner, along with 
forty other volunteers. My auto was to follow 
on another boat. 

On shipboard all hands fraternized at once. 
It was a gay party withal, and democratic in 
spirit. Big family names didn't count for a 
cent, much to the relief of the fine fellows who 
bore them. There was a general realization 
that we were bound on a serious mission 
and that there was no better time possible in 
which to get acquainted. Therefore, the time 
passed quickly enough on our way to the port 
of Bordeaux, our gateway to Paris. A sur- 
prise awaited us there — third-class coaches, in- 
stead of luxurious Pullmans, to which we all 
were accustomed. Bare wooden seats for an 
all-night ride were not so soft as a feather-bed, 
but at that we were lucky, for we were told 



22 Amhulancing on the French Front 

that this long ride was usually made in freight 
cars. It was a mighty rocky ride, though. 
There was compensation in the fact, however, 
that we journeyed through the celebrated Jar- 
din de France, the most beautiful landscape in 
all that beautiful land. But our legs and bodies 
ached, almost unbearably, as we came to the 
end of the journey. 

Arriving in Paris we went straight to head- 
quarters, No. 7 Rue Francois Premier, French 
Headquarters of the American Red Cross in 
Paris. There we signed up for voluntary 
service with the French Army, and then 
started out to complete our equipment and ob- 
tain uniforms. Four glorious days followed, 
for Paris is great, even in war times, and we 
realized that we would not get back there for 
at least six months. 

Then came preliminary training at Sandri- 
court. This took ten days, and from thence 
we were hurried forward to our Division as- 
signment for training near the Eastern front. 
No use to go into detail concerning the red tape 



How I Came to Go 23 

necessary to enlistment. It is enough to say 
that there is plenty of it. After every little 
thing had been attended to I found myself 
tagged for identification as follows: 
VIII Army 

9th Corp 

17th Division 

French Army 

Edward R. Coyle. 



CHAPTER II 



AMBULANCE WORK 



Ambulance work in the French Army 
comes under the heading of what is known as 
the Sanitary Service. To each division there 
is attached a Sanitary Section which serves 
that division only. Although subject to the or- 
ders of the Staff Officers, it is looked upon as 
a part of the Medical Department, and is di- 
rectly under the supervision of the Medical 
Staff. The Service, like everything else in the 
war to-day, has undergone radical changes. 

In the early days of the war, the Sanitary 
Section of the French Army proved most in- 
efficient. It could not cope with new condi- 
tions. Speed in conveying the wounded sol- 
dier to the proper hospital was vital; so also 

24 



Ambulance Work 25 

was the transfer of cases from the front-line 
trenches and dressing stations to hospitals 
where complete service and attention could be 
given. To facilitate development in this all- 
important work took time and careful thought 
to determine just which course would meet the 
increased demands with greatest efficiency. 

While the reorganization was being evolved 
in the minds of the men who had these matters 
in charge for the French Government, the Ger- 
man Armies were most actively engaging the 
French all along their frontier, and it was nec- 
essary, for the time being, to meet the situation 
in whatever make-shift way it might be pos- 
sible until the desired perfection in this branch 
of service could finally be attained. 

The French were fortunate with the sani- 
tary sections they had organized up to that time 
and which formed a regular part of their medi- 
cal service in connection with the army. In 
order to take care of a great portion of the ex- 
tra work that was thrown upon them, it must 
be acknowledged that, with the equipment they 



26 Amhulandng on the French Front 

had, they carried on the work in a wonderful 
way. 

In Paris lived many people who were able to 
render service to the French Government dur- 
ing these days, and among them was Mr. Har- 
jes of Morgan & Harjes Company, Bankers. 
Quick to see the need of expert ambulance work 
in connection with the army, he equipped his 
own automobile and donated it to the French 
Government. 

Through his example other people in Paris 
were induced to make donations of a similar 
character, and thus, through the generosity of 
a small group of Mr. Harjes' immediate 
friends, Sanitary Section, Unit Five, was 
formed and became a permanent and famous 
feature in ambulance work, setting the pace 
followed later on by the French Government. 
Mr. Harjes became responsible for the effi- 
ciency of this service, spending most of his 
time in the field personally conducting the 
operations, and, by his untiring efforts, made it 
the standard of all other units. About this 



Ambulance Work 27 

time Mr. Richard Norton also realized the 
ever-increasing demand upon the sanitary sec- 
tion service of the French Army. He got into 
communication with his very close friend, Mr. 
Arthur Kemp, who was at that time residing 
in England, and induced him to equip his own 
private car and bring it over and enter the work 
with him. Mr. Norton formed Sanitary Sec- 
tion Unit Seven, and himself went into the field 
as its head. He drove one of the cars himself 
and lived with the boys at the front, as also did 
Mr. Kemp. 

The wonderful work that was carried on by 
the volunteer ambulance services quickly at- 
tracted the attention of the French authorities. 
Letters written by the boys of these sections, 
describing in detail to friends in America the 
work they were carrying on, resulted in a large 
number of requests for a chance to serve as 
volunteers. These enthusiasts proposed not 
only to donate automobiles equipped for ambu- 
lance work, but also to drive them themselves 
without cost to the French Government. Soon 



28 Ambulancing on the French Front 

there were enough of these appHcants to form 
Sanitary Section Number Eleven, and, at the 
termination of the Volunteer Ambulance Work 
in October, 191 7, these volunteer sections con- 
stituted the finest and most efficient ambulance 
service in the world. 

By this time recognition had been given to 
this service from all comers of the globe, and 
the American Red Cross now became the prin- 
cipal financial support of the service, which en- 
abled it to expand into a vitally important fac- 
tor of the French Army. Equipment and funds 
in abundance were placed at the disposal of 
the organization. 

Eliot Norton, a lawyer in New York City, 
and a brother of Richard Norton, played a 
large part in the success of that organization. 
It was he who personally supervised the enlist- 
ment of men for service in France as ambu- 
lance drivers. No one was permitted to enter 
this service without having first satisfied Mr. 
Norton that he would be unafraid, under any 
conditions, to carry the work of the American 



Ambulance Work 29 

Red Cross to the battlefields of France in a 
creditable way. 

Untiring was his devotion and unerring his 
judgment. A very high official in the Medical 
Corps in the English Army is quoted as having 
said : ''I have never seen a cleaner, more intel- 
ligent crowd of boys than the ones who are 
serving with the Norton-Harjes Ambulance 
Corps in the French Army/' 

The organization was now taking on such 
proportions that it was necessary to establish 
central headquarters. This was done at No. 
7 Rue Francois Premier in Paris. Messrs. 
Norton, Kemp and Havemeyer were com- 
pelled to give up the active work in the field 
and take charge of the offices. Other sections 
were equipped and sent out ; section leaders and 
assistants called chef and sous-chef, respec- 
tively, were chosen from the older men that had 
been on active duty in the field. 

This organization was now continually at- 
tracting prominent people to it, one of these 
being Mr. Robert Goelet, who turned over his 



30 Amhnlancing on the French Front 

estate at Sandricourt, twenty miles outside of 
Paris, to be used as a cantonment for the 
American Red Cross, and as a base for train- 
ing men. Twenty automobiles were donated to 
this section, which became known as the ''Goe- 
let Section." 



CHAPTER III 



SANDRI COURT 



Sandri COURT, as a base for training and in- 
structions, was a happy choice, for it became 
the stepping-stone to efficiency. It must be re- 
membered that all the men who had joined the 
service were youngsters and of good families, 
and most of them had had some business expe- 
rience. 

In the French Army there is no such thing 
as luxury, and it is very hard for a person who 
has been used to butter, sugar and cream to be 
deprived of them all at once. In addition to 
extremely plain food, sleeping out of doors 
was a very necessary preparation for the hard- 
ships to be endured, when one might be called 

31 



32 Ambulancing on the French Front > 

to sleep in any old place and under unknown 
conditions. 

In the meantime, means were found to 
divert the minds of the weary by such activities 
as military drills, lectures on the care of cars, 
instructions on temporary repairs, and the like. 
In due time there were also established, under 
Y. M. C. A. supervision, classes in French, a 
working knowledge of which was very neces- 
sary, for at the front the men had to take or- 
ders from doctors, who spoke that language 
exclusively. 

When Sandricourt was first taken over it 
had to undergo a thorough overhauling. Mr^ 
Goelet had not occupied it from the inception 
of the war and, of course, things were in bad 
shape. The barns, which had been used for the 
housing of cattle and stock, were to form the 
sleeping quarters for the men, and it was nec- 
essary to give them a most rigid cleaning be- 
fore they could be occupied. 

Some of the barns were over a hundred years 
old and in an awful state of repair, but a hun- 



Sandricourt 33 



dred men of the Ambulance Service were dis- 
patched to start the work and they pitched in 
with such eagerness that within four weeks* 
time Mr. Goelet himself would hardly have 
recognized the place. 

As sections left Sandricourt for the front, 
others came to take their places and carry on 
the work. During their stay they received in- 
structions in preparation for their own depart- 
ure for the front. 

The fatigue work in our service consists of 
such tasks as carrying water, chopping wood 
for the kitchen, and waiting on table. Every- 
one had to take his turn at these different du- 
ties. It was amusing to look in on the various 
groups of inexperienced boys of the different 
fatigues. Many of them had never washed 
a dish in their lives, but no one was exempt, 
and each day brought different men to duty on 
different fatigues, in accordance with a well- 
planned schedule. 

Details were dispatched each day to help the 
farmers in the vicinity with their work, all of 



34 Amhulancing on the French Front 

which was good for the appetite, and hardened 
the boys. Army food was so different, it 
seemed impossible to eat at first, but it had the 
appearance of a banquet at Delmonico's after 
one had been out on a haystack all day or feed- 
ing a thrasher. 

Such was Sandricourt, the tempering forge 
of the ambulance corp — ^the place where every- 
one got down to bed rock and exchanged lux- 
ury for the essentials ; bloat and fat for muscle, 
and irregular life for a rigid routine. Com- 
plaints flew thick and fast at first, but, after all, 
these seeming hardships were mild, indeed, 
compared with what came afterward. When 
enemy shell fire kept food from coming up, and 
service demanded that men should sleep in their 
clothes for days at a time in preparation for an 
immediate call, I often wondered if there were 
not a great many fellows who longed for Sand- 
ricourt, with its vigorous, enforced rules and 
discipline. 

In preparation for the assignment of a sec- 
tion to a division, forty men were chosen from 



Sandricourt 35 



Sandricourt and placed under the leadership of 
a chef and sous-chef. Two men on a car and 
twenty cars constituted a section. This sec- 
tion, when completed, would then be sent out 
to one of the large automobile parks located 
somewhere along the front where cars were 
supplied. Two mechanics were assigned, as 
well as clerks and cooks. There was a French 
lieutenant who, with the chef, took command 
of the section when all the equipment necessary 
for field duty was supplied. When the sec- 
tion left to join the division it was assigned 
to whatever position that division then occu- 
pied. 

After arriving at its destination the first 
thing the section has to do is to establish a 
cantonment. This is generally an old barn or 
a demolished house eight to twelve kilometers 
behind the line, and it must be central to all 
the portion of the front that the division is to 
occupy. In all instances these quarters are 
within easy range of the enemy cannon, for it 
would be impractical, for numerous reasons, 



36 Ambulancing on the French Front 

to have this cantonment or field base too far 
in the rear. The greater the distance the 
greater the time required to answer emergency 
calls. Instant service is the watchword of the 
ambulance man, for he can never tell what a 
few minutes' loss or gain may mean in the sav- 
ing or the losing of a life. 

Located at different intervals all along the 
front, just behind the first-line trenches, are 
ahrisy in charge of which there is a doctor. 
When a man is shot or otherwise injured, he is 
taken to one of these dressing stations where 
he receives his first treatment. If he is 
slightly wounded he is kept there until night, 
in the event that the nature of the terrain does 
not aflford security to an ambulance in coming 
up to take him to the rear. If he is badly 
wounded he is put in a cart and wheeled to the 
nearest point back of the front line where an 
ambulance can approach without becoming a 
target for enemy guns. At night it is the duty 
of the ambulance man to advance under the 
cover of darkness up to these dressing stations, 



Sandricourt 37 



and convey all wounded men to the hospitals 
in the rear. 

As many cars as there are stations to be 
served at the front leave the cantonment at 
noon every day for twenty-four hours' service 
at the front. The remaining cars then become 
an Emergency Division. All the clearing must 
be done at night. No lights are permitted on 
cars. This prevents them from becoming 
marks for the enemy guns. 

If a road is being shelled it makes passage 
extremely difficult for cars without light. 
Shell holes are "hell holes'' to get out of, not to 
speak of the likelihood of a broken axle. It is 
often necessary for one of the men on the car 
to get out and walk in front of it with a hand- 
kerchief behind his back so the man at the 
wheel can find his way along what is left of 
the road, in and out between the shell holes. 

Many of the posts or dressing stations where 
first treatment is given are located as close up 
as 500 yards from the German front-line 
trenches, which is within easy range of ma- 



38 Ambulancing on the French Front 

chine guns, so that, during the day, it is impos- 
sible for the ambulances to approach these ad- 
vanced posts if compelled to go over ground 
that might be visible to the enemy. But at 
night this can be done with comparative safety. 

It is an erroneous idea that the ambulance 
man goes into "No Man's Land'' to pick up the 
injured. There have been instances of where 
the boys have done this sort of thing, but it is 
not a part of their required work. 

This branch of the service is done by the 
brancardier, or stretcher-bearer. In most in- 
stances in the French Army this service is made 
up of musicians. The injured are conveyed 
back through the trenches and placed in the 
waiting cars, which take them to the rear. 

The trips to the hospital with emergency 
cases are sometimes very trying to a sensitive 
driver. A man on a stretcher, shot through 
the abdomen and suffering unbearable agony, 
shouting ''tout doucement, mon Dieu, tout 
doucementr ("Go slow, my God, go slow!"), 
while another man, with both hands off at the 



Sandricourt 39 



wrist, and realizing that only a quick trip can 
save his life, screams ''Viet, Conducteur, viet/' 
meaning *Tast, driver, fast,'' will tax one's 
powers and sympathy to the limit. Another 
screams incoherently from sheer pain. It is 
the desire, of course, for the man at the wheel 
to do each man's bidding, but, under such con- 
ditions, the pleadings of the unfortunate must 
be disregarded. This might seem harsh, 
but when one realizes that he is doing his 
very best, he becomes, after a while, hardened 
to the work and automatically carries out his 
orders. 

Each car, as it goes to the front for its 
twenty-four hours' service, is allotted food 
enough for the two men, which they cook on 
any such improvised fireplace as conditions 
permit; but, of course, during any extensive 
operation, food and sleep are two things that 
one learns to do without. 

It is necessary for all forms of motor ve- 
hicles in the zone of the armies to be supplied 
with what is known as an Ordre de Moiivement, 



40 Ambulancing on the French Fro nt 

which shows just which position of the front 
each must occupy, and what towns and Post 
du Succors each must serve. No one is per- 
mitted on the road without this order, and, if 
one is apprehended by a sentinel, the "order'^ 
must be produced for identification. It's a case 
of "show me" or "skedaddle" back for the per- 
mit. 

If he sees fit, the sentinel can send the driver 
to the rear under guard. There is seldom any 
occasion for this procedure, because every man 
knows it is necessary to have his order and 
would not think of going up front without it. 

During the day, when no runs are to be 
made, the time is spent at the post, within easy 
calling distance in case of emergency. If one 
happens to be stationed where the Boche is 
shelling, the time is spent in an abri or dug-out 
down underground, and, in all instances, men 
who have gone through these bombardments 
are very glad that such places exist. 

In the cantonment the men held in reserve 
are required to make minor repairs to their cars 



Sandricourt 41 



in order to insure their being able to depart 
for the front at a moment's notice. Otherwise, 
their time is their own and can be spent as they 
Hke, provided it is known at the bureau where 
they can be reached in the case of an emer- 
gency. 

While traversing a road that is under shell 
fire, it is a very strict regulation with the 
French Government that no car be permitted to 
stop for any reason whatever as long as it is 
able to run under its own power. Irrespective 
of the fact that it might not have a tire left 
this regulation still holds good and the driver 
must proceed to a place of safety before 
any consideration can be given to the matter of 
changing tires or stopping for minor repairs. 

Whenever a road is being shelled it generally 
gives the men on the car something to think 
about, and only actual experience under such 
shell fire enables them to become expert in their 
judgment as to slowing down or shooting in 
the gas when this condition is met with. It 
is not the most pleasant of experiences to be 



42 Amhulancing on the French Front 

^i"^"^^™"— ^-^■^^— — — ^■— — — —— ^■^■— ^■^^— ^^^— ^»'^»'— ^^i»i» 

driving along and have a shell break alongside 
of the road and cover everything with mud. 
But all conditions are met in a more or less 
matter-of-fact way when one is continually 
forced to accept them. Life seems a matter of 
fate and little attention is paid to bursting 
shells. 

As the cars are relieved at the front at the 
end of twenty-four hours^ service, they return 
to the base, making calls at the different Posts 
du Succor on the way back, picking up the mal- 
lade (sick), for everyone carried in ambulances 
is not always wounded. With large armies in 
the trenches there are a great many cases of 
sickness that must be taken back to the hospi- 
tals in the rear for treatment. 



CHAPTER IV 



MEDICAL CARE 



When a man is wounded he receives the 
Tery best care, for experience has taught 
France that for the conservation of man 
power this is of the highest importance. 
No matter how slight an injury may be, it is 
mandatory that a man receive the proper medi- 
cal or surgical treatment, for it is the small 
and seemingly inconsequential wounds that de- 
velop blood poisoning, which means the ampu- 
tation of arms and legs or even death it- 
self. Consequently, the moment a man is in- 
jured he must present himself to the doctor for 
examination, thereby eliminating, as far as 
possible, any chance of complications. 

The small percentage of infections in the 

43 



44 Amhulancing on the French Front 

army is surprising, in view of the conditions 
that exist, which are not always the very clean- 
est and best. These small wounds, to men who 
live in damp dug-outs, stand watch in wet 
trenches, suffer from irregularity of meals, in- 
sufficient rest and exposure, are all things that 
tend to lessen their resisting power and render 
them just that much more susceptible to the 
development of infection. 

During the first year of the war the fre- 
quency of infection from deep wounds was 
alarmingly high and all efforts of the medical 
staff to cut it down seemed in vain. At this 
time Doctor Alexis Carrel of the Rocke- 
feller Institute, after consultation with some 
of the heads of the French Medical Staff, made 
a study of this vexing problem and with the 
backing of this wonderful institution with its 
ample funds, working without the red tape that 
in most instances goes hand in hand with an 
endeavor of this kind, after a surprisingly 
short time, developed a treatment known as 
Irrigation Intermittent Carrel. The appara- 



Medical Care 45 



tus used consists principally of a reservoir or 
container attached to the bed of the injured at 
the proper elevation to insure a flow of the 
fluid. 

Connected with this and inserted in the 
wound itself is a rubber tube by which the fluid 
is conducted to the field of injury. At regular, 
determined periods during the day and night 
the fluid is released from the container and al- 
lowed to flow through the wound, carrying off 
poisonous matter or arresting any infectious 
condition. 

As it was soon seen that this was the 
best method for handling deep wounds, they 
set out to perfect the treatment. The fluid 
used was very costly, particularly as such large 
quantities had to be employed in this intermit- 
tent irrigation, consequently there followed a 
great deal of experimenting, which, how- 
ever, did result in the perfection of the treat- 
ment, but Dr. Carrel went farther. He and 
his associates compiled a chart or card, which 
recorded the age of the patient, the square 



46 Amhulancing on the French Front 

inches or area of the wound, and such other 
facts as enabled them, through the handUng of 
so many cases, to establish and chart lines of 
healing showing the progress of the wound 
from day to day in its course of treatment, and 
giving such other information as the proper 
time of closing the wound and the discontinu- 
ing of irrigation, etc. 

So accurate did this chart work out that it en- 
abled them to control all cases by its use. Thus, 
in the event that a wound had not progressed 
properly in its healing by a certain day to 
the requirement shown on the chart, the deduc- 
tion was that the case required special treat- 
ment and so it was immediately given the requi- 
site attention. One can see the far-reaching 
effects from a military viewpoint of such a 
system. 

With these charts to govern them, the doc- 
tors at the different base hospitals could com- 
pute very readily just how many beds in their 
hospitals were occupied by cases of this particu- 
lar kind and with this method of treatment es- 



Medical Care 47 



timate very closely -two to three weeks in 
advance how many patients would be released 
and the number of beds that would be available 
for new cases at any given time. 

Still another forward step in military medi- 
cation is in the treatment of burns. I saw in 
France a man who had been working with 
powder which in some way becoming ignited, 
burned one side of his face very badly. He was 
taken to the hospital and treated by the new 
method of spraying parrafin over the burn and 
allowing it to heal from the bottom — a method 
which eliminated all the scar tissue with the 
result that it was almost impossible to tell that 
he had ever been burned. 

We see so many cases in this country of 
people whose faces are covered with scar tissue 
caused by burns because they had been treated 
by such methods as allowed the air to get at 
the field of injury, causing a scar tissue to 
form, which nothing will ever remove. But by 
healing from the bottom and developing toward 
the surface the natural functioning of the 



48 Amhulancing on the French Front 

healthy tissue leaves the exterior appearance 
practically without a blemish. This in itself is 
a wonderful development. For if a person is 
burned and treatment is necessary, there is 
some consolation in knowing that he will not 
be forced to go through life with hideous scar 
tissue marrying his appearance for the want 
of proper treatment. In addition to the "M. 
D./' there is, in each division, the Dental 
Corps. 



CHAPTER V 



A LESSON I LEARNED 



Shortly after leaving for the front there 
came an order that our section was to be 
inspected by one of the captains from one of 
the large auto parks at the front. This meant 
that the general cleaning day was at hand. 
Naturally, we all started brushing and polish- 
ing motors and revolving parts to make as 
good a showing as possible. 

When we were given our cars we were al- 
lotted certain equipment in tools, extra tires, 
etc., all of which we had to inventory and sign 
for, as each driver was held responsible for 
the equipment that was distributed. I noticed, 
while taking stock of what was on our car, a 
little paint brush that looked as if it had the 

49 



50 Amhulancing on the French Front 

"mange," but I listed one brush and threw it 
into the tool chest and soon forgot that I had 
ever seen it. 

This particular day the happy thought came 
to me that with the assistance of some petrol 
(kerosene) and my little mangy brush I would 
be able to get at some parts of my car that I 
could not clean or reach by hand. After a few 
minutes' search the brush was found and I 
began work. I had not gone very far when I 
noticed that the few straggly brisks that were 
in the brush when I commenced had disap- 
peared and that nothing remained but the 
handle. 

In true American fashion, without any 
thought, I tossed the handle into a rubbish 
heap and dismissed it from my mind. The 
boys on the next car to me were using a brush 
in the same manner as I employed mine and 
were getting good results. I said to one of 
them: 

''Have you got another brush?" to which 
I received a negative answer, but one of the 



A Lesson I Learned 51 

boys said: "I saw some little brushes in the 
Bureau" (office). As it was close at hand I 
walked over and asked one of the sergeants on 
duty for a brush. He asked: ''Is there not a 
brush on your car?'V I told him that there had 
been about a quarter of a brush, but that when 
I used it all the brisks had come out of the 
handle. He then demanded the handle. 

"Oh! I threw that away/' I replied. 

"Well, I'm sorry but you will have to get 
along without a brush,'' said he brusquely. 

There before me lay a small bundle of 
brushes ; mine was worn out, no good for fur- 
ther use to anyone, and discarded, yet I could 
not have a brush. I pressed my point a little 
farther in a most persuasive style, but met with 
not the slightest encouragement, and I soon 
saw the reason for the refusal. 

When a new brush is issued the old one must 
be turned in. There is no trouble in getting 
new equipment, if needed, but the old must be 
exchanged for the new, even though it were 
just the handle of a brush. Any part of re- 



52 Amhulancing on the French Front 

turned equipment that can be used saves just 
that much in the making over of the article. 
This is the thrift of the thrifty French. What 
American would ever do otherwise than I did ? 
When a thing wears out with us it is discarded 
— ^but not with them. 

Well, I set out at once for the rubbish pile 
to reclaim the handle that I might get a new 
brush. It so happened that at the time I dis- 
carded the handle another of our sergeants, 
standing close by, after I left for the Bureau, 
walked over, picked it up, and put it under 
the cushion on my car. Of course, when 
I returned the handle was gone. We looked 
high and low but in vain. We finished clean- 
ing our car minus a brush. But a day or so 
later I happened to look under the cushion for 
something and there was the handle. I re- 
turned it to the Bureau and the sergeant who 
had picked it up was on duty. 

'Well," said he, "I thought you would be 
around for a new brush, and to get it you would 
have to turn in the old handle, so I picked it 



A Lesson I Learned 53 

up after you left and put it back on the car/' 
This was my lesson. Learned early, I never 
threw anything away after that. This regula- 
tion held good on everything, — tires, tubes and 
all. If you lost a spare tire enroute, it was your 
funeral when you needed it for a change. 
Without some part of the old one, you could not 
obtain a new one. It was amusing, in a sense, 
to note the effect this regulation produced 
when, for example, we would change an inner 
tube on the road. Before we would think of 
starting again, we would check up all the lugs, 
valves, nuts and caps, for we knew full well 
we would get no new inner tube for the old 
one unless we turned in all the parts when we 
desired an exchange. 



CHAPTER VI 



A VISIT TO PARIS 



To one who visited Paris before the war, 
Paris of to-day presents a strikingly different 
aspect — and why shouldn't it? When we 
stop to think that there is hardly a family 
which has not been deprived of some member 
in the terrible toll of death. The courage of 
the women has been marvelous through it all. 
To some it has meant the loss of a husband and 
to others, sons, while to countless it has meant 
both, and yet, with this sorrow to bear, they are 
ever ready to make further sacrifices in order 
that the outcome might be as the dear ones 
they have lost would have had it. Is it any 
wonder there is sadness in their faces? And 
such a calm sadness it is, too. No hysteria 

54 



A Visit to Paris 55 

whatsoever, never a demonstration, but the 
look on their faces portrays very vividly what 
is in their hearts. Even the children, who are 
too small to appreciate what their loss has 
been, absorb from their mothers this charac- 
teristic composure that is appalling. 

In little villages still within reach of the big 
German guns, one grows familiar with the 
night bombing raids of the Huns. They know 
that the bombs are for the women and children 
that are left, and at any moment may come the 
knock on the door, the gathering of what few 
earthly belongings they have, and escape into 
the night before an attack. 

I have never seen children like these before, 
and I never want to see any again. Some 
little tots seven and eight years of age truly 
look like old men and women. They remind- 
ed me of the little men of the mountains in 
the story of Rip Van Winkle. They never 
smile, but wear the same emotionless expres- 
sion at all times. Games seem to be unknown 
to them as they sit around on the doorsteps of 



56 Amhulancing on the French Front 

their homes (where there are homes), and sad 
is their lot if anything happens to their moth- 
ers, for no one else in the community has any- 
thing for them. Everyone has his own to look 
out for, and it's hard enough to do that. This 
is why there are so many urchins following the 
armies. There is no one to provide for them. 
They have to shift for themselves. 

The Mont Martre, the artists' quarters, are 
familiar to all for the frivolity which has al- 
ways characterized this section of Paris. It 
now bears a close resemblance to a graveyard 
and it would be very hard for anyone to imag- 
ine that La Vie Boheme (the life bohemian) 
ever existed here. 

The Boulevard Exterior, which before the 
war was a blaze of white lights that seemed 
to come to life about the time Paris was re- 
tiring, has taken on the appearance of a main 
street in one of our country towns at 2 a. m. 
Such places as the Moulin Rouge (Red Mill), 
Rat-Mort (Dead Rat), have long since ceased 
to operate as centers of life. Other familiar 



A Visit to Paris 57 

places to people who knew Paris before the 
war and had a world-wide reputation are the 
Latin Quarters and all along the Boulevard 
St. Michel, where the students held forth and 
where one could find almost any form of ex- 
citement, all have passed into oblivion like a 
dream. The boys are all with the colors and 
thousands of them had already paid the 
price. 

Paris is very sad. The mailed fist has 
fallen and left its mark everywhere. 

To-day the theaters are still running; such 
places as the Follies Bergere, Olympia, Cafe 
Ambassadeurs have their evening perform- 
ances, but it is more for the diversion of the 
men on leave from the front than for any other 
reason. Long will these performances be re- 
membered by the men gathered there nights 
to throw off the thoughts of war. I have seen 
almost every uniform of the Allied armies at 
these places in an evening, the men fraterniz- 
ing, and absorbing what gaiety there was, 
trying to forget what they had left behind 



58 Amhulancing on the French Front 

at the front, enjoying their leisure as best they 
could. 

But the show is over each night at eleven 
and once outside the doors in the dark streets 
of cold, sad Paris you find no place to go. 
With dancing unheard of and all cafes closed 
at that hour, Paris has locked itself within 
doors to brood quietly over the happiness that 
seems forever lost. 

Never fear that the French will forget 
America after this war, — no more than Amer- 
ica has forgotten the French. I was in Paris 
on that memorable Fourth day of July, 191 7, 
when the first contingent of American Oversea 
forces marched through the city to the music of 
great military bands, which played the mar- 
tial airs of both France and America. The 
whole population was mad with joy. Persons 
of all ages, from tiny children to men and 
women old and bent, singing and shouting, 
surged back and forth. 

Every nook and corner along the line of 
march was occupied. Balconies, windows, and 



A Visit to Paris 59 

even roofs were filled to capacity, and the 
words, ^^The Americans have come to help us,'' 
were shouted over and over again. Boys and 
girls, carrying small American flags, waved 
them continuously, while their elders looked on 
through tears of appreciation. 

The procession under way, women along 
the line of march showered our boys with 
roses, and almost immediately a long-stemmed 
American Beauty rose protruded from the 
muzzle of every Springfield rifle in the parade. 
Some of the men had wreaths around their 
necks, flowers on their broad-brimmed hats 
and in their belts, while they fairly marched 
upon a bed of roses. No words can express 
the full significance of this parade as it affected 
the hearts and minds of the war-stricken people 
along the line of march. It will go down in 
history as the feature of a glorious day for two 
glorious nations. 

Here was to be seen the real test of 
friendship, the concrete proof that the great- 
est of Republics had finally cast its lot with 



60 Ambulancing on the French Front 

those who had helped to make that Republic 
possible. The whole affair was wonderfully 
inspiring, and the blood rushed through my 
veins in burning gratitude, for those boys 
marching out there were our boys and I was 
an American like them. 



CHAPTER VII 



*'the front'* 



The average person in this country has a 
different idea of what the term 'Tronf' means 
to those who have been "Over there." "The 
Front" from this point of view consists of a 
series of long trenches, filled with infantry, 
and their personal equipment, such as barbed- 
wire, for they know that exists, and back of 
the trenches some cannon; but little does the 
layman know about the component parts neces- 
sary to make up a "front" and all the branches 
of service that are utilized, each an individual 
cog in an efficient fighting machine. I shall 
enumerate some of the departments that are 
not only necessary but vitally essential. 

In addition to the countless thousands who 

6i 



62 Amhulancing on the French Front 

labor in the mills, factories, foundries and 
machine shops, there must be supply de- 
pots, where all this equipment goes for stor- 
age when it is completed. These are not unlike 
our warehouses. From the warehouses, sup- 
plies are requisitioned for the different por- 
tions or sectors of the front where they may 
be needed. There are what we might term 
sub-warehouse stations, generally located back 
of the front near a railroad siding, where sup- 
plies remain until needed by the army. Here 
a great number of men are required for the 
clerical work, stock-keeping, loading and un- 
loading. After this the material and equip- 
ment must be delivered to different parts 
of the battle front. This constitutes another 
big branch of service in which countless auto 
trucks and men are used, known in the French 
Army as the Camion Service, and most of the 
success of an army in either offensive or de- 
fensive operations depends largely on this or- 
ganization and its ability to "deliver the 
goods." 



'The Fronr 63 



Then there are the supply departments for 
food; for the army has to have meals regu- 
larly. It is difficult to realize what it means in 
the way of supplies to feed an army. Each 
section of the front has its base of supplies 
from which the transportation department ob- 
tains them. This is where the meat is pre- 
pared and weighed out to the different depart- 
ments of the army. 

Other supplies in food stuff are measured 
out the same way. After this is done, the 
supplies are transported to the front, or 
near the front, where the field kitchens are 
located. Here it is again apportioned and dis- 
tributed, for the cooks have just so much with 
which to feed so many. The cooking and 
serving requires still more men. 

Next comes the bakery department. The 
raw materials are delivered to the bakery and 
the finished product taken away. One can ap- 
preciate the size of some of these army bak- 
eries when you know that their capacity is 
180,000 loaves of bread a day. This was the 



64 Amhulancing on the French Front 

capacity of the one from which our bread came, 
which I visited. When you consider the output 
of such a bakery you realize that a great 
number of men are necessary who don't fire a 
shot and yet are a vital factor in a military 
organization. 

The telegraphic and telephone departments 
constitute still another important element in 
the system. They employ a great many men, 
who are continually putting up new equipment 
and repairing the old, for the lines of com- 
munication must be ready at any instant, as 
they control the movements of the troops and 
the fire of the artillery. 

Then there are the Dressing Stations with 
their corps, who attend the injured; the bran- 
car diers (stretcher-bearers) and, somewhat re- 
moved from the first lines are the Post du 
Succors, with their attendants and doctors- 
Still farther to the rear are the base hospitals, 
and after that the Army hospitals, each with its 
corp of doctors, nurses and attendants, to say 



'The Front'' 65 



nothing of the ambulances, drivers, labora- 
tories and attendants. 

There are the auto parks along different sec- 
tions of the front, where there are hundreds 
of mechanics busy on cars of every description 
undergoing repairs of all sorts, for without 
these what would become of the camion serv- 
ice when new parts were needed for the auto 
truck? What would become of the supplies 
that they convey, and what of the army that 
needed the supplies? 

Think of the number of men necessary for 
the ground work only around the hangars to 
serve, say, 3,cx)0 planes (between 30 and 40 
thousand men). What a part, for instance, of 
our soldiers concentrated at the Mexican bor- 
der two years ago would be used up for just 
this one seemingly small branch of the army 
of to-day. 

There are other departments, such as Ob- 
servation, Dispatch Riders, Blacksmiths, Me- 
chanical, Camouflage, Road Gangs, Clerical 
Forces for each division, Horseshoers, Artil- 



66 Ambulancing on the French Front 

lery Supply Caissons, which must be utiUzed; 
for many times guns are located off the roads 
and the auto trucks cannot get through the 
fields and mud, and so the caissons have to be 
used, as they are horse-drawn. 

Last but not least is the very large and im- 
portant department — that of the engineers who 
make and repair the bridges, railroads, gun 
placements, roadways, and new buildings. 

All are most necessary for the success of 
the army for each has just as an important 
part as the other, and without the thousand 
upon thousand of non-combatant men behind 
the lines the ones at the front would count for 
naught- 



CHAPTER VIII 

MASSING BEFORE VERDUN 

In the month of February, 191 6, the Ger- 
man Army initiated a drive against the fort- 
ress city of Verdun, which in time developed 
into the greatest battle that the world has ever 
known. The Crown Prince was given com- 
mand of the huge forces concentrated here, 
and offered the opportunity to vindicate him- 
self in the eyes of the people, after having 
signally failed to occupy Paris eighteen months 
before. 

Men, guns, equipment, and every possible 
aid were at his disposal and service, with which 
to make victory certain. The cost in men 
killed was not to be considered. Vindication 
after his tremendous blunders was a para- 

67 



68 Amhvlancing on the French Front 

mount necessity, and to be purchased at any- 
cost. This policy became manifest at the very 
outset by the way he hurled great masses of 
men forward to certain death. It is all now a 
matter of history. 

It has been held by many reliable military 
authorities that this battle was the turning 
point of the war, for, with everything in his 
favor, the Crown Prince had been unable to 
win. In the first days of the attack on Verdun 
the success of the Germans was very marked. 
The reason for this partial success is no secret 
now — France was not prepared. Regarding 
the condition of affairs at Verdun on the day 
of the attack, I have most reliable information 
from 'two officers of high rank in the French 
Army. 

The Germans had been massing supplies and 
men before this city for weeks, in systematic 
preparation for the attack. They had artillery 
and shells in plenty. It was not for some time 
after this concentration had been under way 
that it attracted the attention of the French — 



Massing Before Verdun 69 

so busy were they on other fronts adjusting 
the army as a whole to prevaiHng conditions. 
When it was discovered that there was undue 
enemy concentration in front of Verdun, steps 
were at once taken to combat it, but it was too 
late for extensive preparations. 

That is why Verdun, supposedly the most 
formidable fortress in France, was gutted and 
its brave defenders forced back. They were 
unprepared for the onslaughts and masses of a 
trained and brutal foe. Under the conditions 
it is not surprising that the German Army 
made such great progress. 

One of my informants, who is a thor- 
oughly capable military authority, told me just 
in a few words how he viewed the situation at 
the time and how most French officers felt 
when the German attack was in full swing. It 
was impossible for the French to take the of- 
fensive. In the wake of their superior artillery 
fire, vast waves of German infantry came on. 
They arrived in droves and congregated in 
swarms. As far as could be seen in front of 



70 Amhulancing on the French Front 

the French position the ground was covered 
with men in German uniforms. 

They came so fast and so thick it was 
impossible for the French to kill them all, 
though the slaughter was terrible. Yet on 
they came, and so it was that the French re- 
tirement began. Even during the retreat, the 
rear guard continued raking the German 
masses with machine guns and tearing holes in 
the lines of the oncoming infantry. The 
French fell back to safer ground. These tac- 
tics continued throughout the first day, the 
defenders in each instance holding out just as 
long as it was safe, but always having to give 
ground. 

Late in the afternoon my informant, who 
had been from one point to another along the 
line, reached the town of Verdun itself. There 
he received orders from the General Staff to 
take all money from the bank and proceed with 
it to Bar Le Due, far away in the rear. This 
order, so he told me, confirmed his expectations 
as to what was about to happen.' Apparently 



Massing Before Verdun 71 

the city was doomed. The Germans were fast 
closing in on the city and defeat was in the 
air. The injured were pouring in so fast it 
was impossible to attend them or give them 
quarters. They were laid out in cellars, barns, 
wherever room could be found, until they could 
get attention and be carried to the rear. 

In leaving town after obtaining the money 
the officer started to the rear on the main road, 
but the oncoming traffic was so heavy that the 
road had to be abandoned. Camions, artillery, 
trucks, wagons and men filled the road^ — all 
bound for Verdun. As they went by he said 
to himself, "They have come too late." Un- 
ending was this stream of supplies, and the 
order was that nothing was to stop them. If 
a motor refused to run, camion and all were 
toppled over into the roadside ditch and the 
procession continued uninterrupted. After a 
few days of this unending stream, ever mov- 
ing up, the ditches on either side were filled 
for miles with every sort of conveyance and 
all kinds of supplies. 



72 Amhulancing on the French Front 

Arriving at Bar Le Due that night he deliv- 
ered the money and securities safely. At 
dawn orders came to return to Verdun. He 
and his companion officer were more than sur- 
prised, for it seemed impossible that the city 
had not fallen, and even then he felt that it 
would be only a question of time and long be- 
fore they could arrive. But they started back 
as ordered. As they proceeded they expected 
momentarily to be stopped by word that Ver- 
dun had fallen — but that word never came. 

Much to their joy, upon arriving, they 
learned that the French had delivered a terrific 
counter attack and that great numbers 61 rein- 
forcements had arrived and had been hurled 
against the enemy. For the immediate present 
they were holding their own against the Boche. 
Prospects brightened. News came that fur- 
ther reinforcements would arrive before 
night, with supplies in plenty. Things began 
to look more "rosey." The Germans had cap- 
tured one position after another, but after be- 
ing checked for a moment the necessary 



Massing Before Verdun 73 

breathing spell was afforded to the French. 

Although the enemy did continue to hammer 
away there came a time after a while when 
conditions became equalized between the of- 
fense and defense. The French forced the 
Boche to settle down into siege warfare. If 
Verdun was to be taken at all it would have 
to be by a siege and not by storm. Thus did 
the French wrest victory from defeat, for as 
each day went by without Verdun falling one 
more dagger was driven into the heart of the 
German campaign. 

Each day the French held on brought re- 
newed vigor and determination to hold on for- 
ever. Every known trick was applied to the 
situation by the enemy. The "nibbling" proc- 
ess netted the Germans a gain here and there 
but always the French exacted heavy toll for 
such advances. Under ordinary conditions the 
Germans would have given up the Verdun job 
as hopeless, but it is not an ordinary thing to 
vindicate a Crown Prince. The House of Ho- 
henzollern cared not how many men were sent 



74 Ambulancing on the French Front 

to unnecessary death so long as absolute defeat 
could be obviated. 

The great siege of Verdun was well upon its 
second year when I struck French soil, and it 
was on its scarred front that my work began, 
and where I saw my first battle. It was one 
of the battles that completed the final rolling 
back that I shall describe, and it was the most 
spectacular event I ever hope to see. The ac- 
tion was on the front between Ft. Vaux and 
Ft. Douaumont, which no doubt all are famil- 
iar with, on account of the terrific fighting that 
has never ceased along these particular points. 
Both sides captured and recaptured each oth- 
er's positions many times, as has been told in 
detail by the press from the viewpoint of many 
special writers. 

When I arrived at Verdun I was immedi- 
ately ordered up to Flurey. The only thing left 
to mark the remains of this town was a bell 
tower, which had been tumbled over, but 
some fifteen feet of it still stood above the 
ground. The bell had tumbled into the debris. 



Massing Before Verdun 75 

We were quartered in an ahri about twenty feet 
underground. I was at once attracted by the 
unusual aerial activity, there being a large 
number of French and German planes in the 
air most of the time. These I watched with 
great interest, particularly one Frenchman 
who was jockeying for a position of advan- 
tage, from which to attack a two-man Boche 
plane. Finally he dove for it, but missed. At 
this instant a fighting plane came to the aid of 
the Boches, but the Frenchman, by clever ma- 
nipulation, looped the loop, and soon was on 
the tail of the newcomer. With his machine 
gun he soon got in the shot that sent the Boche 
plane tumbling to earth. 

Then began a battle royal with tlie two-man 
machine. The French plane was smaller and 
a great deal faster. It could dodge up and 
down and sideways so quickly that it avoided 
the machine-gun fire of the big flyer. Dis- 
couraged, the two-man machine turned tail for 
home ; the Frenchman followed. The Germans 
dived toward their own lines, but a well-di- 



76 Ambulancing on the French Front 

rected shot hit their gas tank, and to earth they 
went in a cloud of flame and smoke. 

The victory was complete for the moment, 
but disaster came quickly on its heels, for when 
the French plane was almost back in our lines, 
there came swooping down from a cloud an- 
other Boche. My heart fluttered at the sight, 
for it was plain that the Frenchman was un- 
aware of the new danger. He had slowed up 
and was leisurely picking his way home. 
There was no way to warn him of his danger. 
At the last second he must have discovered his 
plight for he seemed to turn, but it was too late. 
The German gun was singing and the next in- 
stant saw this brilliant aviator tumbling earth- 
ward. I shut my eyes and gasped for breath. 



CHAPTER IX 



THE SIEGE OF VERDUN 



It was now six p.m. and, although the Ger- 
man shells had been coming in at regular in- 
tervals all day, they increased the intensity of 
their fire now and things were pretty hot, for 
they were putting lots of big ones over. We 
felt quite secure in our abri, and after an 
hour the bombardment ceased. 

That night we got little sleep, for the French 
preparatory fire, in view of the big offensive 
planned for the next day, had increased to such 
violence it sounded like Hell let loose and run- 
ning wild. 

We were up at three a.m., ready to start at 
break of day. If possible, the French fire 
seemed to increase each moment. So fast were 

77 



78 Amhulancing on the French Front 

the big guns discharging their deadly missiles 
that it was impossible to distinguish one report 
from another. It was one vast rumble. How- 
ever, we did not get away, as word came that 
the Boches were putting over gas along the 
road on which we were to travel, and so orders 
came for us to wait. That gave us time to 
get a good meal tucked away. It is always 
good judgment to eat when one has an oppor- 
tunity, for the chances are that during an at- 
tack the rarest thing that one will experience 
is an opportunity to eat. 

It was nearly eight o'clock before we got 
under way. The road over which we were 
going was controlled by Boche batteries back of 
Pepper Hill, and even now we were noticing 
the shells landing in the roadside ahead and 
behind us. Camions, dead horses and soup 
kitchens were in evidence, toppled over into 
the ditches, but we were not hampered and 
kept right on going. 

In a few minutes we were stopped by a 
French sentry and warned not to try to go 



The Siege of Verdun 79 

ahead as the Boches were shelHng the road in 
advance quite heavily. We could hear the 
shells breaking about half a kilometer further 
on, so we pulled up and stopped here for about 
thirty minutes. There seemed to be a lull at 
the end of this time, when we again started for- 
ward, but had not proceeded very far when we 
came to an artillery caisson turned over in a 
ditch and three horses lying dead in the road. 
Two of the men attached to the caisson had 
been killed by the same shell and were lying at 
the roadside, partly covered with canvas. 

We were held up here for a couple of mo- 
ments until the Frenchmen pulled the last horse 
that blocked the road out of the way. Five 
minutes more travel brought us to a sharp turn 
in the road, but just before we reached it a 
shell exploded near us with a sound that con- 
vulsed us. A quick application of the brakes 
was necessary, for we found that the shell had 
landed in the road just in front of a camion. 
The three men who were on the camion heard it 
coming and jumped to safety, but the explosion 



80 Amhulancing on the French Front 

had torn their motor and the front of their car 
into bits. 

It so happened that this truck occupied 
the very middle of the road and it was impos- 
sible for us to pass on either side of it. Bang ! 
a shell broke at this moment on the hillside 
about one hundred feet away. Hasty exami- 
nation and inquiry soon convinced us that we 
would be held up here for some time. It ap- 
peared like a most uncomfortable place to be 
stuck in, and the developments of the next few 
moments justified the impression. Bang! 
Bang! two shells exploded one on one side of 
the road and the other just ahead. We de- 
cided to turn our car around and get 
away from this spot until the damaged truck 
was removed. This was finally accomplished, 
but no sooner had we turned than the shells 
began bursting in and around the road in the 
direction we were traveling. 

A Frenchman at this moment pointed out 
the location of an ahri by the roadside 
where we were and into which we could crawl 




The Bivouac of the Dead 



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Where the Souls of Men Are Calling 



The Siege of Verdun 81 

until the shelling stopped. Ahead of us some 
two hundred feet the road passed through a 
sort of a cut, where the banks came up on 
both sides high enough partially to protect the 
car from being damaged, except by a direct 
hit. 

The ahri was a very welcome place and 
as long as we had started for it we lost no time 
in getting there. We had hardly descended 
the stairs when two Frenchmen came down 
supporting a third between them. I recognized 
him as one of the men who had been on the 
camion. His trousers were red and the blood 
was trickling to the floor. His clothing was 
removed at once and a gaping wound was 
found in his stomach. He screamed with 
agony. 

A doctor, who was present, stepped for- 
ward at this moment to examine the man, 
but quickly shook his head. We knew that 
meant the wounded soldier did not have a 
chance. At this instant a shell landed about 
twenty feet from the entrance to our retreat, 



82 Amhulancing on the French Front 

and the vibration was so violent that it almost 
shook our teeth out. A great deal of loose 
dirt between the beams above our heads 
fell — some of it into the gaping wound of 
the unfortunate man lying on the floor. I was 
horrified and called the doctor's attention to 
the matter, but he said that it was of no con- 
sequence; the man was doomed. 

Naturally I began to feel very nervous, for 
the place in which we were quartered did not 
impress me as any too safe, being only about 
fifteen feet below the surface, and should a 
shell land on it I felt that we would stay there 
a long, long time. 

And the shells did come, one after another. 
It appeared that they were shooting at the 
dug-out instead of the road now. The place 
fairly trembled. The doctor fell to his knees 
and started praying a sort of chant — "My God, 
my God. I have always tried to serve thee 
well," etc. I must confess that I was not 
enjoying myself any too well, for I remember 
having picked up an old newspaper which I 



The Siege of Verdun 83 

tried to read, but merely turned the pages over 
and over and whistled nervously, wondering 
where the next one would land. 

The doctor turned sharply and addressed 
me, "You fool, have you no reverence, to 
whistle while a man is praying?" He up- 
braided me severely. Such experiences, to- 
gether with the agonized cries from wounded 
men screaming with pain, were not pleasant. 
I expected momentarily to see the nose of a 
Boche 105 come poking through the roof and 
bury us like rats, but Dame Fortune smiled 
with favor upon us, for the expected never 
came. But the cries of the man who had been 
so badly wounded had now ceased. He had 
passed away. 

After the bombardment lifted we ventured 
forth, expecting the worst. But there was our 
car, untouched, just where we had left it. A 
few moments' work by some Frenchmen got 
the auto truck off to the side of the road far 
enough to enable us to pass. I do not ever 
remember experiencing such profound relief 



84 Amhulancing on the French Front 

at leaving a place as I was to get away from 
this bend of the road. 

Soon we came to where the French cannon 
were putting over the usual preparatory fire 
before the attack. We parked our car in a sort 
of a gravel pit, which afforded good protection. 
By this time we had passed several large 
Howitzer batteries, also some large Marine 
pieces, and when these guns would fire we could 
hear their big shells go screaming over our 
heads on their way to the front. One cannot 
help wondering how any living thing could 
exist within the confines of such an inferno. 

After about ten minutes we came up before 
a field telegraphic headquarters, and adjoin- 
ing was the telephone exchange for this sector 
of the front. Needless to say, this was a busy 
place. Here all impending movements 
shaped themselves, and communications from 
the General Staff were relayed to the army 
both by wire and 'phone. All the big guns 
throwing shells over our heads were controlled 
by this bureau. 



The Siege of Verdun 85 

A captain informed us that an attack was to 
be launched at twelve noon sharp. During the 
time that we were here I noticed undue aerial 
activity on the part of the Germans, for there 
were some twelve or fifteen of their machines 
in the air over the French lines, and at the 
same time I noticed six observation balloons 
floating behind their lines with lookouts alert. 
It impressed me as rather irregular that the 
French had not sent up machines to drive the 
Boche planes back over their own lines in such 
times as these, for it was now ten-thirty, and, 
with an attack coming off at noon, they might 
gather a lot of information regarding the con- 
centrations of the French and take steps to 
counter the move. 

Almost at the moment that these thoughts 
were running through my mind the captain 
was called to the telephone, and after a short 
time returned with the information that the 
call was an order for the French aviators to 
proceed against the German observation bal- 
loons, regardless of cost, and to destroy them. 



86 Avihulancing on the French Front 

I asked if they were going after the planes, too, 
to which he repHed: 

"No — they are instructed to pay no atten- 
tion to the aeroplanes until they have com- 
pleted the destruction of the observation bal- 
loons. The planes are to be left entirely to 
our anti-aircraft batteries." 

Turning toward the rear, I noticed the result 
of the orders just issued, for one after another 
of the French planes ascended, until I had 
counted nineteen. All started to maneuver for 
positions of advantage. The battle-planes 
ascended to elevations where they could pro- 
tect the planes that were going after the bal- 
loons. Over to the right of our position, with- 
in two minutes of each other, the anti-aircraft 
batteries scored direct hits, and brought two 
Boche planes tumbling to earth, while over- 
head a German attacked a French plane and 
forced it to descend behind our lines. 

Time was drawing closer now when we must 
go forward to take up the position we would 
occupy during the attack. Already the French 



The Siege of Verdun 87 

fire was deafening, mingled with the terrible 
roar of German shells. In about twenty min- 
utes we gained the summit of an elevation 
from which we could see the German trenches 
that were to be attacked, about twelve hun- 
dred yards in front of us, but considerably 
lower, excepting one slope on the left, where 
there was a steep incline leading to the top of 
a small hill, on which was located the second 
line defense of the Germans, the first being at 
the bottom. 

We could see very plainly the effect of 
the French fire, for there were shells of 
all sizes breaking over the German posi- 
tions — a mass of shrapnel explosives. With 
the aid of powerful glasses I could distinguish 
that while there was some barbed wire stand- 
ing before the German trenches the accuracy 
of the French artillery had resulted in reduc- 
ing it so much that there would be easy access 
for the infantry. 

At eleven-forty-five exactly there was not a 
German observation balloon in the sky. French 



88 Amhnlancing on the French Front 

aviators were now free to engage the Boche 
planes. In the next few moments two German 
machines were brought to earth and with them 
one French plane in combat. Immediately 
thereafter a German machine fell in flames, 
brought down by the aircraft batteries. I 
could not help but think how wonderfully ac- 
curate the calculations of the Headquarters 
Staff had been in planning the aerial opera- 
tions. 

Located in pits on the hill on which I stood 
were the French 75's, about forty pieces all 
told, that had been placed there the night be- 
fore. Not a single shot had been fired from 
them. Afterwards I learned more in detail 
the part these guns were to play and the reason 
for their temporary inactivity. 

At twelve sharp, as if by magic, out of the 
ground arose wave upon wave of French in- 
fantry. So spectacular, and so inspiring, was 
the sight that we stood motionless, our eyes 
fixed upon the advancing lines of blue. For 
several minutes I did not see a man fall. 



The Siege of Verdun 89 

This was due to the fact that the Germans 
were still in their dug-outs on account of the 
intensity of the French preparatory fire, still 
falling on their position. 

This did not last long, however. The 
curtain fire raised quickly and we could observe 
the shells breaking in the rear of the Ger- 
man front-line trenches, instead of on them, 
as they had been a moment before. The same 
instant German machine-gun fire opened, and, 
just as the French reached the wire in front of 
the enemy position, I could see blue figures fall- 
ing all along the front, and while the buzz of the 
machine guns was inaudible, due to the terrible 
din of the cannon, I knew by the way the men 
dropped that the machine guns were doing the 
mischief. 

Notwithstanding the slaughter, more men 
jumped into the gaps and on they swept. They 
had now reached the parapet of the German 
front-line trench and we could see them fight- 
ing with grenades and hand to hand. A short 
while thereafter the supporting columns of the 



90 Amhulancing on the French Front 

French surged on over the first line in an 
attack upon the secondary defense. Support- 
ing columns still filed out of the French 
trenches below. How so many could come 
from that source was enough to mystify one, 
but here they were before our eyes, stream- 
ing forward in surging waves. I noticed now 
that the French fire had again been lifted and 
was being thrown even farther to the rear than 
heretofore. 

The shells, as we now observed them, broke 
in a clearing that seemed about five hundred 
yards wide, back of the secondary defense of 
the Germans. It was on this stretch of ground 
that all the French artillery on our hill was 
trained, but as yet not a shell had been fired 
from them. We could see very clearly that the 
first line had been captured, for even now the 
French had started back with groups of prison- 
ers taken from it. We could discern quite 
clearly at times that they were making good 
progress against the secondary defense, al- 
though the smoke and bursting shells in the 



The Siege of Verdun 91 

area between were very heavy and obscured the 
view. I glanced toward my left and saw cais- 
sons going up on the run with cartridges and 
hand grenades to repel the counter attack. 

The Germans must have anticipated this 
move, for they put over a terrific fire on the 
road over which these supplies had to be trans- 
ported. Just about this time word came back 
that all objectives had been captured and con- 
solidation started. Instantaneously another 
rush of caissons went forward with additional 
supplies, and every gun behind us seemed to be 
throwing a barrage fire back of the positions 
captured. There was no lull. The French 
infantry had captured all that they had started 
out for, — in fact, all that there was. 

An under officer of the battery beside me 
exclaimed, "Hurrah !" and I turned my head in 
the direction in which he was looking, to see 
three regiments of "Blue Devils" charging with 
bayonets fixed up the steep slope that had until 
now defied all thrusts. The casualties seemed 
to be remarkably few for such an exposed po- 



92 Amhulancing on the French Front 

sition, and before we could realize what had 
happened the French had gained the crest, and, 
in the next few moments, had thrown the 
Boches off the hill. 

Orders were now given for every man to 
take his position. At first I could not under- 
stand why these orders caused such activity 
among the batteries that, up to now, had 
shown no signs of being in the fight at all— but 
I was soon to learn. Everyone seemed breath- 
less with impatience, but stood cool and rigid. 
Finally I heard a shout, ''Here they come !'' 

I shall never be able adequately to describe 
the sight. Masses of Boches surge forward in 
counter attack; closer and closer they drew 
toward the French positions until there was an 
earth-rending crash and forty sheets of flame 
burst from the mouths of the cannon beside 
me. 

I was too stupefied to realize what had 
taken place for the moment, but soon re- 
gained control of myself. The guns never 
stopped a second. Each piece was throwing 



The Siege of Verdun 93 

shrapnel at the rate of twenty-two to twenty- 
five shots a minute into the oncoming ranks. 
We could observe quite clearly the shells land- 
ing among them and over them, and with each 
explosion could see gaps torn in their lines and 
men mowed down like so many weeds. Finally 
they faltered, and the next instant fell back in 
disorder to the positions they had left. The 
ground was literally strewn with their dead 
when the cannon ceased. 

It was not long that we enjoyed this lull for 
the German batteries started shelling our 
positions furiously. Hitherto we had not come 
in for much attention, a shell every now and 
then was our lot, but now their fire was direct- 
ed straight at us, and from what we received 
I imagined that every gun made in Germany 
was trained on this hill. 

Five French guns were completely destroyed, 
while eight more had to re-locate positions so 
that they would not be wiped out. Shells of all 
sizes broke around us, but after a few minutes 
the shelling subsided. 



94 Ambulancing on the French Front 

Notice was now transmitted along the posi- 
tion that the Boches were forming for a sec- 
ond counter attack. Everyone was again in 
place and in a couple of moments again I 
heard, "Here they come !'' And they did come, 
and also with them came a renewal of shell- 
fire on our position, when two more guns were 
hit. But they were paying a terrible toll for 
their advance, for their ranks were torn to bits 
by the French machine guns. 

Nor did this stop them — they came on and on 
until they gained the parapet of the French po- 
sition, and here fought hand-to-hand for it. 
But the defenders were the most tenacious. 
They refused to budge an inch, until, due to 
superior numbers, they had to give ground. 
But the Headquarters Staff had been watching 
for these very conditions, so, like a flash, two 
attacks were started simultaneously from the 
right and left, and before the Germans knew 
what had happened both bodies of the French 
converged in their rear, and all Germans not 
killed were taken prisoners. 



The Siege of Verdun 95 

It is difficult to analyze and describe one's 
feelings in going through such an attack, and 
what surprised me most, after it was all over, 
was the way in which I had lost all conscious- 
ness of what was taking place right around me, 
so intense was my desire to see everything that 
was transpiring out in front of our position. 
Even when the shells were coming in close, and 
particularly during the time when the batteries 
beside me were being shelled, and even hit, I do 
not remember paying much attention to what 
might happen to me, for I felt that all was in 
the hands of fate. 

On our way to the rear we came across 
batches of prisoners. There appeared to be 
two distinct classes of soldiers, the first not one 
of whom seemed to be over twenty, while some 
here were mere boys and wore looks of terror 
and dread. I saw one youngster, surely not 
over seventeen, with his hand tied up, evi- 
dently wounded, the tears streaming down his 
cheeks. I was informed later that these boys 
were told by their officers that in the event of 



96 Ambulancing on the French Front 

their being captured they would be tortured, 
and all manner of things would be done to them 
by the French. From their expressions one 
could see that they believed this to be a fact. 

The other class consisted of men who ap- 
peared to be over forty years of age. Some of 
them had beards in which gray hairs were 
largely in evidence. All of them looked very 
poor and the rations that they had been given 
surely did not nourish them to any marked de- 
gree. The class that was lacking was the strap- 
ping young fellow of twenty-two to twenty- 
eight, the connecting link between mere boys 
and middle-aged men. 

After all these came the wounded. Bran- 
cardiers and soldiers were now assisting at the 
dressing stations. All kinds and shapes of hu- 
manity lay in rows, one after another, await- 
ing the attention of the doctors who pass along 
the line examining and administering to those 
who have a chance for life. To one who is 
not used to such sights it would appear that 
the doctors are a hard-hearted lot, as they 




ID 

O 
u 



o 



The Siege of Verdun 97 

make their rounds, passing by those who have 
no chance. But here one must realize that the 
time and attention that a vitally injured man 
requires, should he have died on the way to the 
hospital, might have been the means of saving 
the life of the one who had a chance. Never 
shall I forget the expression on the faces of 
men when the doctors passed on to the next. 
They realized that it was only a question of 
moments before they made their supreme sac- 
rifice. What must that feeling be ? Of course, 
there are some that lose control of themselves 
because of intense pain from wounds, but on 
the whole the patience of these unfortunates 
is most remarkable. 

After a heavy action all such men as can 
possibly get to the rear by themselves, or with 
the assistance of comrades, are forced to make 
the struggle, for the ambulance is taxed to its 
utmost in bringing back those who are unable 
to help themselves. 

After the lull came, with the French hold- 
ing all of their gains, I had the opportunity of 



98 Ambulancing on the French Front 

going over the whole area of the Verdun bat- 
tlefield, and the only expression that I can use 
to fit the scene is that it was a mess. Where, 
before the attack, there were beautiful trees, 
nothing now remained. It was impossible to 
tell or distinguish one shell hole from another, 
50 raked and torn was the ground, now turned 
into chalk dust. First a shell lands here and 
throws the ground one way, then a shell lands 
there and throws it back — a continual churn- 
ing process — and when the heavy rains come 
it turns it all into a quagmire of so much 
mud. There have been any number of in- 
stances where French soldiers had gotten into 
such places and gradually sunk almost out of 
sight before their comrades came to their res- 
cue. In some cases they were too late 
to pull the victims out without pulling their 
arms from their sockets. All that could be 
done under such circumstances was to shake 
hands with the unfortunate — ^before he was 
swallowed up and sank from view in the lake 
of mud. 



The Siege of Verdun 99 

This has happened to horses and even to 
the light field batteries. It is impossible for 
one who has not witnessed these scenes to have 
even a vague conception of such conditions. 

Following is an interesting letter portraying 
an action at Verdun : — 

Verdun, 

To-night I am sitting in the small under- 
ground cellar of one of the public buildings of 
the town, acting as a sort of timekeeper or 
starter for the cars going up to our most dan- 
gerous post, and handling the reserve cars for 
the wounded in the town itself. I wish I could 
describe the scene as I see it, — for a strange 
world is passing before me — Frenchmen, liv- 
ing, wounded and dying. 

A long, heavily arched corridor, with stone 
steps leading down to it ; two compartments off 
to one side lined with wine bins, where our re- 
serve men and a few French brancardiers 
(stretcher-bearers) are lying on their stained 
stretchers, some snoring; beyond, a door that 



100 Amhulancing on the French Front 

leads to a small operating room, and to the left 
another door that admits to a little sick ward 
with four beds of different sizes and make on 
one side and six on the other, taken evidently 
from the ruined houses nearby — and one tired 
infirmier (hospital attendant) to tend and 
soothe the wounded and dying. 

In the bed nearest the door, a French priest, 
shot through the lungs — with pneumonia set- 
ting in — his black beard pointing straight up, 
whispers for water. Next to him, a little 
German lad, hardly nineteen, with about six 
hours to live, calling, sometimes screaming, for 
his mother, and then for water. Next to him, 
a French captain of infantry, with his arm shot 
off at the shoulder and his head lacerated, 
weak, dying, but smiling; and next to him a 
tirailleur in delirium calling on his colonel to 
charge the Germans. The Infirmier is going 
from one to the other, soothing one and waiting 
on another, each in turn. He asks me what the 
German is saying, and I tell him he is calling 
for his mother. "Ah, this is a sad war," he 



The Siege of Verdun 101 

says, as he goes over to hold the poor lad's 
hand. 

A brancardier comes in with a telephone 
message, — ''a hlesse (wounded man), at Belle- 
ville — very serious/' This is a reserve car call. 
So one slides out and is gone like a gray ghost 
down the ruined street, making all the speed 
its driver can — no easy matter, — with no 
lights. In twenty minutes he is back. The 
brancardiers go out — they come in again, bear- 
ing the wounded man on a stretcher and place 
it on the floor beside the little stove. One of 
them, who is a priest, leans over him and asks 
him his name and town; — then, in answer to 
what his wife's name is, he murmurs : ''Alice ;'' 
while on the other side another brancardier is 
slitting the clothes from his body and I shiver 
with pity at the sight. 

The surgeon comes out of his little operating 
room. Weary with the night's tragic work — 
after so many, many other tragic nights, he 
doused his head in a bucket of water, then 
turned to the wounded man. He looked long 



102 Amhulancing on the French Front 

at him, gently felt his nose and lifted up his 
closed eyelid. Then, at his nod, the stretcher is 
again lifted and the wounded man carried into 
the operating room, and soon after that, into 
the little room of sorrows. 

In answer to my eager question the sur- 
geon shakes his head. Not a chance! 

A brancardier and I gather the soldier^s be- 
longings from his clothes to be sent to his wife, 
but even we have to stop for a few moments 
after we see the photograph of his wife and 
their two little children. 

An hour later, as our night's work was slack- 
ing down and several cars had driven up and 
been unloaded, the infirmier came in from the 
little room and said something to the bran- 
cardiers. Two of them got a stretcher and in 
a moment "The hlesse from Belleville" came 
past us with a sheet over him. They laid him 
down at the other end of the room and another 
brancardier commenced rolling and tying him 
in burlap for burial. As you looked he changed 
to a shapeless log. Then out to the dead wagon. 



The Siege of Verdun 103 

Shortly after I went into the little ward 
again to see how the others were coming 
through the night, and was glad to see them all 
quieted down; even the little German seemed 
less in pain, though his breathing still shook 
the heavy little bed he lay on. 

Through a window I saw that day was be- 
ginning to break, and, as I noticed it, I heard 
the Chief's car coming in from the ^^Sap/' and 
knew the night's work was over. 



CHAPTER X 



A VISIT TO BACCARAT 



One day I went into a little general store in 
Baccarat to make a few purchases. Having 
just arrived at this sector, and not knowing 
anything about the place, I engaged the woman 
who owned the store in conversation regarding 
the occupation of the town by the Germans. 
My interest was due chiefly to the fact that this 
particular store, while located in a devastated 
village, had, from all outward appearances, es- 
caped damage. 

It seems that just after the Boches oc- 
cupied the town word was given out that 
Paris had fallen and was then in the hands 
of the Germans. The telephone and telegraph 

stations were all controlled by the enemy, and, 

104 



^ A Visit to Baccarat 105 

of course, the statement was accepted as a fact, 
for no information could be obtained other 
than that which the Germans wished to give. 

On the fifth day of the occupation a German 
captain, speaking perfect French, entered the 
store and inquired for the proprietor. When 
informed that he was speaking to her, he 
demanded : 

"Madam, do you speak German ?'^ 

''No," repHed the woman. "I do not speak 
German, but I understand it quite well.'' The 
officer then asked if she spoke English, to which 
she answered "No.'' 

"Well, if you do not speak it, you surely 
understand it?" he persisted, but she replied in 
the negative. The officer thanked her, and, 
without further comment, turned and left the 
place. The woman thought this a most un- 
usual occurrence, especially as, without expla- 
nation, he left as abruptly as he had entered. 
Later she learned that he did the same thing 
all through this district, asking people precisely 
the same questions and leaving without com- 



106 Ambulancing on the French Front 

ment, no matter what their answers were. 

In due course the reason for the officer's visit 
came to light. The German command had 
learned that on the day of their defeat in the 
battle of the Mame, one of the causes therefor 
had been the flanking movement of the Eng- 
lish. This information produced such an in- 
tense feeling of hatred that this officer was sent 
around town to find out if there were any peo- 
ple who spoke English or even understood it. 
If such were found their location was set down 
and reported to the German command. 

The pressure on the town, however, soon 
took on such proportions that it was seen that 
it would have to be given up by the Germans. 
So the compiled information of the officer's in- 
vestigation was reviewed and those people who 
spoke or understood English were visited by 
the Torch Squad and everything they owned 
was burned. 

Baccarat was by no means the only place 
that received this sort of treatment, for one has 
only to take a trip along the eastern front of 



A Visit to Baccarat 107 

France to see a great many similar instances 
of just what took place at Baccarat. Wan- 
ton destruction seemed to be the idea of the 
German command. Fruit trees were cut down 
because it would be years before France could 
grow them again. 

Houses were blown to pieces by the artillery 
when the civil population had left Baccarat. 
The churches seemed always to be the first 
thing razed to the ground by enemy fire. Of 
what military advantage this could be, I have 
never been able to see, but I have heard a 
theory advanced that seems plausible. The 
German command knew that the peasants of 
France were a hard-working people, occupied 
with their farms constantly ; that they are also 
a home people and know very little of the out- 
side world. Sunday they believed should be 
set aside for worship and rest. Brought up in 
this religious way, men, women and children 
attend church on Sunday with unfailing regu- 
larity. 

I saw the church in the village of H 



108 Amhiilancing on the French Front 

completely demolished by shell fire, with the ex- 
ception of the altar and the three life-size 
statues behind it on the wall. The figures of 
the Mother Mary and Joseph and that of the 
Christ in the center were intact with the excep- 
tion that some German Hun had decapitated 
the figure of Christ. The destruction of houses 
of worship was intended to produce in the 
minds of these peasants the thought — "God is 
not with us," — for if He were, they reasoned, 
"He surely would not permit the Germans ,to 
raze our homes and devastate our farms." 
This would cause unrest and dissatisfaction in 
general with the Government, perhaps produce 
a cry for peace at any price, and that is what 
the Germans had hoped for. But what a mis- 
take they have made, for the French peasant 
will make every sacrifice, even to death, for 
their country. 



CHAPTER XI 



HOMELESS CHILDREN 



At Saint Nicholas du Port we rested, wait- 
ing for our division to go to the trenches. 
Almost every night we were visited by Boche 
aviators who would come over and drop a few 
bombs to add to our comfort. It was one of the 
nicest little spots one could find, for we were 
quartered in an old cow barn from which we 
had to shovel about two wagon loads of man- 
ure before we could put up beds, and when we 
did not have the Boche flying over us we were 
busy with the "cooties'^ round about us. 

If ever conditions existed that were 
cootie producing, we certainly found them 
here. There was an old tile roof that was per- 
fectly watertight, except when it rained, and 

109 



110 Amhulancing on the French Front 

evidently intended for astronomical observa- 
tion. At other times our anti-aircraft bat- 
teries, located across the road, when they shot 
at the Boches caused shell fragments to drop 
on our none-too-solid roof, and thereby add to 
the access of small rivulets, to say nothing of 
the danger of our losing about a yard and a 
half of hide. But we were visited so many 
times by the Boches that we ceased to pay any 
attention to them. With practice one can get 
used to anything. 

One night a little boy came up out of the 
darkness and asked if he could sleep in the 
driveway. He said he was very tired and had 
no place to go. He had been ordered back, 
for when a regiment goes into the fighting 
zone no one that is not attached to it is per- 
mitted to go along. There are hundreds of 
these urchins in France that follow the armies 
and live with them when they are not in the 
trenches. 

This is just what had happened to Lom- 
bard, for that was his name. We ques- 



Homeless Children 111 

tioned him very closely and he finally convinced 
us of his truthfulness, and so we made him 
comfortable for the night on a stretcher in one 
of the cars. In a short time he was in slum- 
berland. About an hour later the Boche avia- 
tors came over and things were soon humming. 
The batteries were going full blast when I 
thought of that poor child out in the car with- 
out protection, and unable to get out. 

I put on my steel helmet and went out to re- 
lease our guest. I brought him into the barn 
and felt much better to know that he was at 
least sharing the protection we were afforded. 
The air raid soon ended and all was still. In 
the morning our guest was given his breakfast 
and a few francs, the net result of an im- 
promptu collection, but he seemed to like Amer- 
ican hospitality and started in to cut wood and 
carry water for our cook. Someone suggested 
that we keep him with us to do errands and 
help generally, but before this was to be con- 
sidered it was necessary to learn more about 
the youngster, as we all had valuables that we 



112 Amhulancing on the French Front 

did not wish to lose, and coming to us as he did 
no one cared to take chances. 

We decided to question the lad and learned 
that for over two years he had been wan- 
dering about from one regiment to another. 
His home was at a place called Pont a 
Meusson, and when the place had been attacked 
by the Boches, his father had been killed and 
his mother carried off. He had two older 
brothers in the French Army, but did not know 
where they were. Thus, after the cross-exam- 
ining, we decided to let him stay. We felt sure 
that as long as he was to help the cook and han- 
dle food, we might just as well have him clean. 

On account of the particular interest I 
had shown in him, I was allotted the job 
of seeing that he was cleaned up. After 
taking up another collection I bought him 
underwear, a clean shirt, and seeks. There 
were miscellaneous donations like handker- 
chiefs, ties, towels and soap, so our guest 
was now ready for the bath. We had some 
water heated, into which we put a disinfectant 




A Camouflage Road Made to Order 



A Natural Camouflage Road 



Homeless Children 113 

to help matters along, for I don't think he had 
had a bath since he left home. It is hardly- 
necessary to say that the bath was, at least, a 
partial success. 

He seemed more than grateful for what 
we had done for him and all went well until 
we were ordered to the front with our division. 
Then it looked dark for Lombard, for we 
must go into the fighting zone and he would 
not be permitted to follow. But he seemed 
so distressed and forlorn that we tucked 
him away in a camion and took him with 
us. We bought him a little uniform, and, 
when we left our division, the American boys 
who came to take our places gladly took him 
in charge. We were sorry to leave this little 
fellow, for he had become a part of our daily 
Hfe. 

It is unfortunate that all the little chil- 
dren that follow the armies can not be taken 
care of in some such way. There are thou- 
sands of them straggling in the wake of the 
troops over there and they have no one ta 



114 Amhulancing on the French Front 

consider their comfort or safety. What will 
become of them, beaten from pillar to post day 
after day, with no one to put out a helping 
hand. This is a problem for the women to 
solve, since the men are occupied with other 
things and have no time to adjust the matter. 



CHAPTER XII 



AFTERNOON TEA 



One day in my turn I went out on service to 

the small town of B . The front-line 

trenches were located just outside the village. 
Upon our arrival, shortly after noon, in this 
town we obtained our meal from a soup kitchen 
that was tucked away in a sort of a driveway 
between two demolished houses. It was an 
ideal location for a soup kitchen, for, from all 
outward appearances, no one would ever think 
that this desolate spot would be picked out or 
utilized by anyone for any purpose whatso- 
ever. After eating we started out for the post. 
This was the first time we had gone up to the 
front-line trenches covering this particular 
sector of the front. 

IIS 



116 Amhulancing on the French Front 

After we had proceeded some three hundred 
yards, we came to a place where the trenches 
passed through a small clump of woods, in 
which was located one of our advanced artil- 
lery observation posts. Here we were met by 
a sergeant major, who informed us that we had 
better exercise a great deal of caution in our ad- 
vance of the next hundred yards, which was 
the distance that separated us from our front 
line. It was necessary to pass through a 
guUey and the trench we were in was only 
shoulder high. The Boche trenches v/ere so 
close to our front line that the enemy, by post- 
ing men in the trees behind their lines, were 
in a position to observe what transpired in the 
guUey, we were about to enter. 

We climbed out of the trench, and, with the 
aid of field glasses, carefully scrutinized the 
taller trees to ascertain whether or not the 
Boche at this time was on the lookout. As we 
did not see anything that attracted undue at- 
tention, we decided to take a chance and pro- 
ceed. 



Afternoon Tea 117 

Crouching, we advanced some fifty yards. 
In passing one place that was particularly 
low, we were observed and the next sec- 
ond brought a hail of machine-gun bullets 
which kicked up the dust all about us. In front 
of us, some fifteen or twenty feet away, I no- 
ticed another spot where the side walls of the 
trench did not afford much protection and at 
the same instant, or just long enough for a 
man to proceed from one opening to another, 
came a stream of machine-gun bullets in front 
of us. 

It was a case of being between the devil 
and the deep sea; all we could do was to 
remain in the position where we were pro- 
tected. We finally decided that by crawling 
on our hands and knees we could get past the 
second opening. This we did without being 
observed and the last we heard of our sniping 
Boche friend was a few shots intermittently 
fired in the hope of picking us off. 

Arriving at the front line, we proceeded 
along the machine-gun positions, and, finally. 



118 Amhulancing on the French Front 

entered a small communicating trench which 
led into the lieutenant's dug-out. We de- 
scended and found our friend seated at a table, 
pondering over military maps and familiariz- 
ing himself with this particular sector which 
our division had just taken over. While we 
were conversing, one of the under officers re- 
ported the completion of a ''Petit Posf (listen- 
ing post). The lieutenant inquired if I would 
care to accompany him in looking it over. Of 
course I would. 

The general direction we took immediately 
impressed me as being toward the location of 
our Boche friend, who was planted in a tree 
based upon the angle that the machine-gun 
bullets came from. But we did not have to give 
much consideration to him, as the side wall of 
our trench nearest to his position was over six 
feet high and afforded complete cover. We 
soon arrived at our destination — sixty feet 
from the Boche front line. 

The instruction completed, two soldiers were 
stationed here and became a part of the defense 



Afternoon Tea 11£ 

for this sector. We were soon on our way to 
the rear. We passed through the gulley where 
we had been held up on the way out without 
attracting any attention. Arriving at the town 

of B , we obtained our tinned meat with 

four large potatoes, sought a quiet spot and 
built a fire to prepare our evening meal. 

Suddenly we were startled by the hum of a 
shell, as it passed over us and burst in a field 
just beyond. Then came a second, which burst 
closer; then a third. My companion and I 
looked at each other in amazement — then, 
thinking that the smoke from our fire was the 
cause of the shelling, we quickly stamped it 
out and poured water on the spot where our 
spoiled dinner had been sending up delightful 
odors only a moment before. We ran as fast 
as good legs could carry us into an old house 
near by that afforded better protection in the 
event of a shell breaking near us. 

The shells kept coming for about ten min- 
utes, then stopped. Cautiously, we returned to 
where our fire had been and were considering 



120 Amhulancing on the French Front 

the possible salvage when the hum of a motor 
attracted our attention to a Boche aviator fly- 
ing directly over our heads. We were only 
about five hundred yards back of our first-line 
trench, toward which the Boche plane pro- 
ceeded. It went directly over the trench, 
swooped down and raked it from one end to 
the other with machine-gun fire. Circling 
back, he returned as far in the rear as we were 
and then again made a run for the front line 
to open up with his machine gun as he dived 
for it. 

In the open we afiforded him a fine mark, 
b)ut each time as he flew back toward us we saw 
to it that there was a brick wall between him 
and ourselves. By this time he had attracted 
the attention of our anti-aircraft guns and they 
began shooting shrapnel at him as he circled, 
and the machine guns in our front-line trenches 
also shot in our direction as they followed the 
flyer to the rear. As the shrapnel and pieces 
of the exploded shells fell like rain around us, 
we decided to give up our supper as a 



Afternoon Tea 121 

bad job, and went to sleep hungry that night. 
We walked up the street and passed the Post 
du Succors. The stretcher-bearers had begun 
to bring in the wounded. One man had lost 
most of his head. Accustomed as I was to such 
scenes, the sight of this man's condition was 
the last straw in the way of gruesome experi- 
ences, and I was glad to get away and to bed. 



CHAPTER XIII 



"petit post*' 



Out where the night seems the blackest, 
where one is unable to see his hands before his 
face, and where, in many instances, due to close 
proximity of the enemy trenches, one is com- 
pelled to be as quiet as a mouse, there is located 
in a shell-hole or the like is the Petit Post (or 
listening post), which is employed by all ar- 
mies engaged in carrying on modern trench 
warfare. 

Out in front of even your own barb wire, 
with no form of protection from the enemy, 
two men must be constantly on watch, in 
order to send up signals in the event that 
Fritz decides to come over with his nippers for 
the purpose of slashing a passage in the wire 



122 



'Petit Post'' 123 



that his men may come through quickly in order 
to prevent the machine guns from collecting 
too much toll. It is necessary for the men at 
the post to lie flat and listen for the nip of the 
wire clippers. If this comes, it is their duty to 
signal the front-line trench, and, with star 
shells, the machine-gunners can discern the 
enemy and put the finishing touches on the 
wire-clipping party. 

The end generally comes before they even 
get started. As soon as these men know that 
the enemy are over, in addition to sending up 
their signals, they throw out six or eight hand 
grenades, and then run back to their trenches 
as best they can and assist in the defense in 
the case of an attack. But the thing to imagine 
is lying out there in the rain and mud with ab- 
solutely no protection, the wind cutting to the 
marrow and moaning mournfully as it sweeps 
over "No Man's Land,'' whistling through the 
barb-wire entanglements. The night seems 
just that much blacker after the star shell dies 
out, for such is the blinding effect on the eyes. 



124 Amhulancing on the French Front 

There have been many instances where 
enemy patrols have stumbled right into these 
little listening posts while they are on patrol 
duty in *^No Man's Land/' and other instances 
have been known where one patrol would be 
walking side by side with an enemy patrol until 
someone would happen to discover the fact and 
then there was always a fight. A few ex- 
changes of shots, a few thuds from the swing- 
ing of butt ends of guns and all was over in a 
few moments. 

Picture yourself on such duty where even 
a whisper will bring you a present in the 
form of a hand grenade, and when there are 
no wire-cutting operations on, or enemy patrols 
to bother you, it rains, and you wallow in mud 
like an animal with your knees knocking to- 
gether, and your clothing so wet that it sticks 
to your body. But this is very important work 
and must be performed. Two lives out there 
may mean the saving of hundreds in the 
trenches. 

All such operations as cutting the wire 



'Petit Post'' 125 



and patrol duty are carried on under the 
cover of darkness, with only the intermittent 
star shell, which is sent up like a rocket to im- 
pede the work. When these are in the sky it is 
necessary for everyone between the trenches 
to lie flat on the ground because a man stand- 
ing with this light on him would be a mark for 
the enemy sniper. 

I have known of instances where men on 
patrol duty have been shot early in the 
morning while inspecting the wire, and, 
falling over, hung there entangled in utter help- 
lessness. The light coming on prevented their 
comrades from rescuing them and they lay 
there for days at a time with the German ma- 
chine guns trained on them. Once in a life 
time on Petit post is enough — an abundant suf- 
ficiency. 



CHAPTER XIV 

BADONVILLER THE MARTYR 

In the foothills of the Vosges Mountains 
just inside the Lorraine border is the site of 
what was once a peaceful village. This village 
suffered the most terrible devastation of any 
along the eastern front in France. Not only 
the town but also the civil population received 
such treatment at the hands of the Boches that 
it is beyond my powers to describe the atroci- 
ties that were committed. But I shall endeavor 
to set forth some of the outstanding facts in 
order that the reader may understand why this 
village is now known as "Badonviller the 
Martyr." 

When the German Army invaded France 
from Lorraine this peaceful little village lay in 
its path, and, after sharp fighting, was occu- 
pied by advance troops of this army. 

126 



Badonviller the Martyr 127 

The enemy entered the town at three 
o'clock in the morning and marched five 
abreast all through the day and long into the 
night — a continuous stream of men that never 
paused. On they went to the next village, 
Roan L'Etape, and in its turn that village suf- 
fered even a worse fate than had Badonviller, 
as the resistance by the French here was 
greater, hence the destruction was to be 
greater. At this point, the German command 
allowed free sacking, and applied the torch. 
The homes of the inhabitants were burned and 
destruction of things and pillage in general 
permitted, even though of no military value 
whatever. 

In this town the German officers caused to 
be written all over the altars of churches, pub- 
lic buildings and store fronts the words "Cap- 
ute Ramberviller," the name of the next village 
in the path of this army. This meant that not 
a stone should be left unturned and the torch 
applied to every home, store, church or building 
of any kind. There was a reason for this, a 
German reason. 



128 Amhulancing on the French Front 

During the Franco-Prussian War, over 
fifty years ago, the civil population in this 
village of Ramberviller turned out to as- 
sist a handful of French soldiers in holding 
back some crack Prussian regiments until the 
French reserves could come up and defeat 
them. Fifty years of grievance, and this was 
their opportunity for revenge. 

Think of revenge on a people most of whom 
were unborn at the time because their grand- 
fathers defended their homes from pillage a 
half century before ! But the stories of atroc- 
ity that had been handed down were borne out 
by the new generation of German soldiery, the 
flower of the German Army of to-day. 

Now this village happened to be the next in 
the line of march, but the French had antici- 
pated what was in the heart of the Hun and 
the French Headquarters Staff, knowing what 
would happen to this town if captured, decided 
to make a stand against the invader between 
Roan L'Etape and Ramberviller. And here 
history repeated itself, for the glorious poilu of 
France administered a smashing defeat to the 



L 




Badonviller the Martyr 129 

invading army, and Ramberviller was again 
spared. But not without the toll that always 
attends heavy fighting. 

To-day the fields and the woods are filled 
with crosses, black for the AUamand and the 
Tri-color for the French. Thirty-five thousand 
men fell in the fighting before this village. 
From this point the French kept pushing the 
Boche back until they got them out of Roan 
L'Etape and finally back to Pexonne, just out- 
side of Badonviller. 

As the Germans were falling back they used 
the upper part of a house in this town as a hos- 
pital for officers — one large room, and a smaller 
one adjoining. The smaller of the two rooms 
was used as an operating room, while the 
larger one became a ward where the stretchers 
were placed on the floor. In the small room was 
a window looking out on to a little courtyard, 
and, as the arms and legs and hands and feet 
were amputated, they were thrown out of this 
window into a pile on the ground floor. The 
woman who owned the house was forced to 



130 Amhulancing on the French Front 

assist wherever her services might be required. 
After the elapse of several days, she requested 
the privilege of cleaning up the little courtyard 
of its human debris. For reply she was told by 
a German surgeon to mind her own business, or 
she might ornament the pile also with her 
"filthy French carcass.'^ 

The brancardiers, or stretcher-bearers, of 
the German Army were bringing in officers in 
numbers as the fighting increased, and it so 
happened that in the ward to which I have al- 
luded there was no more room, being filled to 
its capacity, except in one corner where a 
young French boy was stretched out, his leg 
amputated at the thigh. As the last German 
officer was brought in and it was found there 
was no room for him, two Boche stretcher- 
bearers lifted the French boy up and threw him 
out of the second-story window into the street 
below, where, needless to say, he died very 
shortly. 

To give you the history of just one of the 
families here it will be necessary for me 



Badonviller the Martyr 131 

to go back to the first attack by the Boches 
on this village. A young boy nineteen years 
old, the son of the mayor of this town, was 
shot and mortally wounded while defending the 
village from attack. He was carried to his 
home and laid at his mother's feet, where he 
soon died. (Number i.) 

The following morning, with her son dead in 
the house, the mother stood at her gate weep- 
ing. The Boches were filing through the 
streets in front of her home when a German 
officer took notice of her. He stepped out of 
the ranks, and, as he approached, inquired why 
a woman should feel so badly at seeing the 
glorious soldiers of the Kaiser marching by 
triumphantly, and when she replied, "You have 
killed my boy,'' the officer drew a revolver and 
shot her dead. (Number 2.) 

In the house we have described as used for 
a temporary hospital, on the first floor was lo- 
cated a large room used by some of the Ger- 
man officers as a Headquarters. This room 
had two large windows looking out upon the 



132 Amhulancing on the French Front 

street. A little boy nine years old, walking 
down the road, was called by one of the offi- 
cers sitting at one of the windows and given 
a pitcher in which to bring some beer from a 
neighboring cafe. The child returned in a few 
moments with the beer, which he handed to the 
officer, and, for some unknown reason, the offi- 
cer lifted him by the collar into the room and 
shot him. 

As the child fell mortally wounded, he 
was picked up bodily and placed on a red-hot 
stove used for heating the water for the operat- 
ing room upstairs. The odor issuing from the 
burning clothing and flesh soon brought the 
doctor to the head of a small staircase on the 
second floor. "What is that smell?'' he de- 
manded, and the officer who had placed the 
child on the stove replied, ^'Doctor, we are pre- 
paring your dinner.'' Whereupon, the doc- 
tor shouted, "Take that damn stinking thing 
off of there, as the smell is coming upstairs 
and it will make somebody sick." There- 
upon, the body of the boy, now dead, was taken 
from the stove and thrown out of the kitchen 



Badonviller the Martyr 133 

window onto the pile of arms and legs in the 
courtyard. ( Number 3 . ) 

Four days later a young girl was carried off 
by the Boches, as they were evacuating the city 
through pressure from the French, who had, 
by this time, so increased in number that the 
Germans saw that it would be impossible to 
hold the village. What became of this girl no 
one can say, but from what I know of a great 
many other cases I believe it would have been 
much better for her had she been killed in the 
streets than to have suffered the fate that I am 
sure must have been hers. (Number 4.) 

Her father, who was the mayor of the town, 
protested to the German command regarding 
the treatment his family, as well as the women 
and children of the town generally, had 
received, whereupon he was tied hand and foot 
and mutilated, being told at the same time that 
this would refresh his memory whenever he 
had any thought of interfering with the su- 
preme command of that particular army. 
(Number 5.) The total of the family. 
The French pressure now becoming too 



134 Amhulancing on the French Front 

heavy, the Boches were unable to withstand it, 
and started a systematic sacking and demoH- 
tion of the village. Barricades were thrown 
up in preparation for street fighting; not 
even the dead were held in reverence, for 
trenches were dug through the cemetery and 
the bodies and skeletons were thrown up 
to become a part of the embankments and 
the headstones lined the parapets, behind 
which the barbarians would fight. 

I have related the happenings that have 
taken place in only one home and in one vil- 
lage. I have occupied the room described 
herein as the officers headquarters and pre- 
pared meals on the same stove. There were 
many such families, there were many such 
operating rooms, and there were many women 
known to be alive that were carried ofif by the 
Boches. It is hard to understand how such 
things are possible, but that is why this little 
town is now known as "Badonviller the 
Martyr/' 



CHAPTER XV 



"snipers'' at work 



The "sniper'' of the present war would have 
been called a "sharpshooter" during the war 
of the rebellion. Such men are most expert in 
the use of the rifle and seldom miss their mark. 
Many of them have now become proficient in 
the use of the modern machine gun for the 
same class of work, that of picking off the 
"lookouts" on the firing platforms of the op- 
posing trenches. 

Most everyone has heard of the game bird 
known as the snipe. They are very small and 
hard to see, usually blending with the land- 
scape and shrubbery. When it is said of a man 
that he can "hit a snipe with a rifle at two hun- 
dred yards," the last word in praise of his 

135 



136 Ambulancing on the French Front 

markmanship has been said. Thus the term 
^'sharpshooter" has been displaced by the word 
"sniper'^ by reason of the American love of 
brevity. 

The "sniper" of to-day is no less than a 
picked marksman whose trained eye is both 
keen and tireless. The "lookouts" of the 
trenches may well be wary of him. They know 
he is always on the job and that his far-seeing 
eye, with the aid of the globe-sights through 
which he constantly peers in search of his 
prey, is ever on the lookout. He knows the 
hatred in which he is held and that once cap- 
tured no punishment is held too cruel for in- 
fliction upon him. 

There was one place in our front line where 
the trench was shallow and a man of ordinary 
height would have been exposed from his 
shoulders up had it not been for two boards 
twelve inches wide that had been placed there. 
The two ends that came together were not 
sawed straight and left a V shape where they 
joined. Some sand bags were placed in front 



''Snipers at Work"' 137 

of the opening between the two boards, but the 

V was left partly uncovered, which enabled the 
Boche to peer through. The opening was so 
small that it was impossible to see a man and 
get a shot at him before he had passed. 

In front of the German trenches at this point 
was a willow tree that had been pruned for the 
willow industry. This means that when the 
tree grows up to the required height the main 
trunk is cut away and the stump sealed. Then 
the dwarfed tree starts sprouting, ''shoots.'' 
This keeps it short and bushy. Such was this 
tree. From within it a man could observe the 
top of a helmet in our trench on either side of 
the V-shaped ''peep hole.'' 

This was just the knowledge that the 
Boche wanted in order to make use of the 
bad joint between the boards. A man was 
placed in the willow with a machine gun, which 
was strapped securely into the fork of the tree 
so it would not shake. It was trained on the 

V hole between the two boards. The gun was 
so fastened that it did not have to be aimed. 



138 Amhulancing on the French Front 

for each time it was fired the ball would go 
straight through the V. 

One of the boys in the French trench un- 
knowingly exposed himself and was found dead 
with a bullet through his brain. There was 
nothing to cause any other thought than that 
he had carelessly looked over the top. 

Later that afternoon a sergeant, in line of 
duty, was going along the same trench inspect- 
ing the machine-gun positions. Three or four 
shots were heard and he was found dead with 
a bullet through his head. While mystifying, 
this second death did not reveal the truth. The 
sergeant was tall and his death was laid to this 
fact. However, the French lieutenant did 
know that whoever was doing the shooting was 
no amateur, and gave orders to his men to be 
especially cautious, and it so happened that no 
one else was hit that day. 

Next morning, nevertheless, brought re- 
newed activities, and among the first casualties 
was the death of a French boy who was killed 
at the same spot by a bullet through his head. 



'Snipers at Work^ 139 



This brought about an investigation, which dis- 
closed the V-shaped opening between the two 
boards. A sand bag ended further trouble 
from this source, but the location of the 
'^sniper'^ was yet in order. A Frenchman at 
a machine-gun position thought that he had 
noticed smoke issuing from the willow tree. 
It was decided to keep careful watch on it and 
send a scouting patrol out that night. As soon 
as it was dark enough the men started out and 
soon found the Boche tucked away in the tree 
with his gun. Needless to say, no time was 
wasted on him, several bayonet thrusts serving 
to end his activities as a machine-gun sniper. 

In another location there was a little brook 
just behind the line, and, during the summer, 
the boys would go back about thirty yards and 
fill their canteens with fresh, cool water — and 
sometimes they failed to return. When found 
they would be lying dead in the brook, which 
was only a few inches deep. 

The roadway on the side nearest the Boches 
was eight feet above the brook and every- 



140 Amhnlancing on the French Front 

where else perfect covering was afiforded, 
yet every once in a while someone was 
bagged here. Finally a young fellow, who 
was preparing to fill his canteen, before 
doing so dropped to his knees to take a drink 
from the stream. Just as he did this he heard 
three bullets whistle over his head and splash 
in the brook some distance ahead, which dis- 
closed the fact that the Boches were shooting 
from a position over five hundred yards away 
through a culvert in the road. When the tar- 
get showed through this culvert several bullets 
sped on their way. The act of stooping over 
had saved the young man's life. 



CHAPTER XVI 

"kamerad !'* 

The word Kamerad has come to possess 
a significance not at all in keeping with its orig- 
inal meaning. On the western front the 
French and English have probably solved the 
problem of what to say and do when greeted 
by this well-known form of Boche salutation. 
Picture to yourself two trenches filled with sol- 
diers, a barbed wire in front of each and ''No 
Man's Land'* stretching out endless between 
the two. French cannons in the rear are ham- 
mering away with remarkable precision, drop- 
ping deadly shells into the German lines, and all 
machine guns on the French front-line para- 
pets manned and ready for business. At the 
same instant hands go up in the German 
trenches and soldiers climb out on top with the 

141 



142 Amhulancing on the French Front 

shout of ''Kamerad'' on their lips. Their arms 
are extended over their heads in token of sur- 
render. They have no rifles and no side arms, 
nothing with which to attack and only the ex- 
pression of joy upon their faces. 

At this moment a battery of machine guns 
are trained upon them and ready to wipe out the 
handful of Germans in less than five seconds, 
but not a shot is fired as they advance. Men 
in the French trenches go so far as to expose 
themselves in order to assist the surrendering 
enemy on their way to the rear as prisoners 
of war. 

Suddenly, at a distance of twenty feet, 
the hands of the Germans dive into their pock- 
ets and each man cracks the cap on two hand 
grenades, and, at this distance, throws them 
with deadly accuracy all along the machine-gun 
positions in the French trench, killing or 
wounding all the occupants and disabling their 
guns, thus allowing their own infantry to cross 
"No Man's Land" without danger. 

Does not an episode of this nature aiford us 



'Kameradr 143 



some substance for a moment's reflection? 
Suppose you had been one of the occupants of 
the French trench and had escaped injury, and 
the following week you were again detailed for 
duty in the front-line trench. Also, suppose 
you were at the trigger of a machine gun when 
a handful of men climbed out of a German 
trench yelling ''Kameradf' Now what do you 
think you would do ? You bet you would. 

On a certain night when one could hardly 
see six feet away, a French patrol was sent 
through our wire into *'No Man's Land." 
Headquarters had information to the effect 
that the German division in the lines opposite 
our position had been changed, and the patrol 
was to learn just what division had taken its 
place. To do this it was necessary to capture 
a prisoner and search him, for all men carry 
numerals on their uniforms as well as certain 
papers, which, even though they be of a per- 
sonal nature, serve to identify them. I might 
here point out to what extent such data is of 
military importance. 



144 Amhulancing on the French Front 

French, English and German troops in their 
three years of war know from direct contact 
on different sectors of the front just which 
regiments of any army are "shocking'' or at- 
tacking troops, and which are what we term 
''holding troops," — used merely to defend 
trenches after they are captured. If a man is 
identified as belonging to a division of "shock 
troops," great precaution is taken by the differ- 
ent commands against what may be considered 
a certainty. Prepare for an attack — that's the 
rule. If he is merely of a "holding" division, 
there is not so much to worry about. 

This is what happened that night. The pa- 
trol was instructed to capture a prisoner if pos- 
sible and bring him in. Just after dark two 
young French boys were posted in a shell 
hole in "No Man's Land" in front of the 
French barbed wire to await events. They 
felt quite secure of being observed from the 
enemy parapet, when star shells were sent 
up. They stayed in this position for quite a 
while. 




French Infantry Enroute to the Trenches 



'Kameradr 145 



At the expiration of a half hour three 
figures appeared in front of them, all walking 
cautiously. Suddenly they stopped, talked very 
low for a few moments, then separated. Two 
men went one way and the third in exactly the 
opposite direction, which was toward the posi- 
tion that the boys occupied. This man was in- 
stantly covered and could have been shot down 
had either of the French boys so desired, but 
he was allowed to proceed, and, at the proper 
time, was challenged and commanded to halt. 
The German, knowing full well that rifles were 
trained upon him, and that he had not the 
slightest chance' to escape, called out clearly : 

''Kamerad, Kameradf' 

He was commanded to throw up his hands 
and advance, which he did. It was impossible 
to note that slung behind his uplifted hand was 
a Leuger revolver. On he came until he could 
discern both figures very clearly, and, at six 
spaces, fired pointblank at each. 

One was wounded so badly that he died soon 
after, but the other so slightly that he was able 



146 Amhulancing on the French Front 

to get in one good smash with the butt end of 
his gun, which laid the Hun low — then dragged 
him into a French trench. 

The prisoner proved to be a German 
lieutenant, and, under pressure, gave out some 
valuable information. This goes to show that 
the code of surrender is violated by German 
officers, as well as by their men, and, while the 
two Frenchmen were instructed not to shoot, 
but to bring in a prisoner, no man is expected 
to take the least chance with an enemy. No 
bullets are fired nowadays just to wound an 
opponent. They are all fired for one purpose 
only, that is — to kill. 

Another incident which impressed me as be- 
ing a very sad one happened during an attack 
in the Somme, to a young lieutenant attached 
to the same division as I. He became noted 
for his fearlessness and daring. He was found 
in the very hottest of everything and always at 
the head of his troops in a charge across "No 
Man's Land.'' Not only did he enjoy the con- 
fidence of his men, but also the confidence of 



'Kameradr 147 



the government, which, in recognition of his 
bravery, decorated him with the Croix de 
Guerre (French War Cross) and the Medaille 
M Hit aire (MiHtary Medal), two of the high- 
est honors that can be conferred upon a sol- 
dier. 

One day, after a very brilliant charge, his 
company captured the Boche front-line trench, 
and, as he was jumping down into the trench, 
he saw a German officer lying prostrate, his 
head and face covered with blood. At this in- 
stant a French poilu ran up and was just about 
to put the finishing touches on the German 
when the latter began yelling ^^Kamerad! 
Kameradr The lieutenant waved the poilu 
aside as the man seemed very badly wounded. 
He then asked the German if there were any 
men in a certain dug-out, pointing to one 
leading off from the front-line trench. The 
officer replied "No, but there are some in that 
one,'' indicating another located down a small 
communicating trench toward which the lieu- 
tenant forthwith started, revolver in hand. 



148 Amhulancing on the French Front 

But he had no sooner turned his back when the 
Boche officer rolled over on his side, whipped 
out a revolver, and shot him through the back, 
killing him instantly. 

Bravery had brought this French lieutenant 
the highest honors in the army, and human con- 
sideration for a dying man brought about his 
own death. 

Kamerad! — how I loathe that word in its 
German significance. 

In another attack the French Infantry went 
forward and captured all the front-line Boche 
trenches on a certain sector. The artillery fire 
that had been directed against their trenches 
and the lines behind them rendered it impos- 
sible to deliver rations to their men in the 
front line for over two days before the attack. 

This situation, coupled with the terrific 
strain of the intense artillery fire, had turned 
them into a pitiful-looking crowd. Finally, two 
Frenchmen started to bring the German pris- 
oners back to their own lines and at this par- 
ticular point the German trench was very 



'Kameradr 149 



deep and hard to climb out of. So they fool- 
ishly marched them along through their front- 
line to a place where they could crawl out more 
easily. 

All along in a front-line are boxes filled 
with hand grenades with which to repel 
attack quickly. The line of march along the 
trench was zigzag, making it impossible for 
the front of the line to be viewed from the rear 
or vice versa, and, as they turned a corner in 
their line of march, a couple of the Boches dug 
into one of these grenade stations and killed 
nine infantrymen before they themselves could 
be laid low. 

Take another instance, one that occurred 
during the recent invasion of Italy. The Aus- 
trian command instructed their troops to do 
everything in their power to gain the confi- 
dence of the Italians, in the hope of fraterniz- 
ing with them, and when they had succeeded, 
the command secretly pulled out the supposedly 
friendly Austrian troops and put in their 
places German ''shock troops/' which fell upon 



150 Amhulancing on the French Front 

the Italians like a stroke of lightning, and mur- 
dered them without mercy. 

The same thing occurred in Russia, and, 
therefore, I hope that my countrymen will 
never make the same mistake. Never take 
your eye off the Boches. They are not to be 
trusted under any circumstances. I know that 
this is a very difficult attitude to assume, but 
chances should never be taken with men whose 
officers misuse Kamerad, and the terms of sur- 
render. When I read that Germans are made 
prisoners I wonder why. 



CHAPTER XVII 

THE ART OF CAMOUFLAGE 

The word camouflage has come into common 
use both here and abroad and I think it might 
be interesting to devote a little time to a brief 
discussion of the different uses of camouflage, 
or low-vision painting, and to tell you how ex- 
tensively it is used and where it is most effec- 
tive. 

At the front there are many roads that pass 
over hills to the rear of the lines, over which 
supplies have to pass on their way forward, — 
roads that are within sight of the enemy ob- 
servation posts, and would prove easy tar- 
gets for their guns should they be left clearly 
exposed to view. Many people believe that just 
because a road is camouflaged the enemy does 
not know the road exists. 

151 



152 Amhulancing on the French Front 

This notion is erroneous in most cases, 
for they do know that the road is there behind 
the camouflage, but the object is to obscure 
from their view whatever is passing a given 
point. Otherwise it would be easy for the 
watchful enemy, with glasses, to see whether 
men were moving forward, or whether shells 
were being transported for the artillery. 
With the use of camouflage they are deprived 
of this data and the knowledge of just when or 
where on a road to put a shell so as to have it 
reap a plentiful harvest. Do not misunder- 
stand me when I say that just because a con- 
voy is passing along a camouflaged road that 
they are safe. Traffic moves along this avenue 
of supply with some degree of safety. 

In some places the road will have camouflage 
on just one side. In other places it is necessary, 
in order to provide the proper protection, to 
put it up on both sides, and in other instances 
lines of brush are strung on wires every fifty 
feet or so to break the continuous stretch of 
road as it appears to an aviator from above. 



The Art of Camouflage 153 

The method that is employed is that of plac- 
ing upright, twelve to fourteen feet high along 
the sides of a road, something not unlike a reg- 
ular fence around a farm. Along these are 
strung wires, on which brush and weeds are 
hung and fastened at top and bottom so that 
the wind will not blow them down or to one 
side. 

Under ordinary conditions at the front, this 
form of camouflage affords effective protec- 
tion, for without it the enemy could shoot at 
convoys, etc., with some positive knowledge of 
just what was passing along the roads. One 
sees the camouflage roads of both sides on a 
front, knowing full well that men and supplies 
move along them, but just where they are at 
the time a shot is to be fired is problematical, 
and, with this uncertainty before them, only in 
time of undue activities on the part of either 
side is any attention paid to them, and then 
waste or no waste they are raked from one end 
to the other with shell fire. 

Back of the lines at various distances are the 



154 Amhulancing on the French Front 

batteries, and it is not always possible to locate 
them where they can enjoy the shelter or ob- 
scurity of clumps of woods, so often they have 
to be located in fields or in other open places. 
However, a battery is always located so that 
when firing the flash is obscured to the enemy, 
preferably behind some little hillock or rise in 
the ground, so there is never much chance to 
locate a battery by other means than observa- 
tion balloons or aeroplanes. 

Camouflage is employed here also and 
covers are so constructed that they hide en- 
tirely the location of the battery, leaving no op- 
portunity for the gun to be seen. If a photo- 
graph is taken by an enemy aviator, when de- 
veloped the battery takes on the appearance 
of an ordinary clump of brush in the picture, 
and surrounding it are so many just such 
clumps of brush that there is nothing showing 
at any particular place to give any information 
as to just which is a battery. 

If a battery is being searched out and great 
uncertainty exists here, the enemy do take 



The Art of Camouflage 155 

chances in shooting at the different clumps in 
the hope of getting a hit on a battery. This is 
where the anti-aircraft guns play an important 
part in keeping the observation plane up at alti- 
tudes where photographs do not give enough 
detail to reveal too much information, for, 
should they be permitted to get down close 
enough, they might be able to distinguish too 
readily the camouflage from the real. 

Low-vision painting is another form used 
extensively. It is unusual to see a camion 
(auto truck) or any form of vehicle on the road 
that is not painted up so that, at a distance, it 
blends into its surroundings. Whereas, if it 
were not painted up, it would stand out clearly 
and the contrast to surrounding conditions 
would make it a target for the enemy guns. 

The same condition exists on water as well 
as on land. Hence we see so many boats 
painted up for low vision. This does not mean 
that they are always obscure to the submarine, 
but with the mass broken and with the absence 
of defined contrast with the sky and water, they 



156 Amhulancing on the French Front 

do not afford such a target to the enemy ob- 
serving through a periscope. 

In the rear of the lines at the front are little 
huts, in which are stored cartridges and shells. 
They are built very small so as not to be con- 
spicuous. In all instances the additional pre- 
caution is taken by painting these huts so that 
it is practically impossible for enemy aviators 
to distinguish them at ordinary heights. One 
sees back of the lines in many places, in some 
instances fifteen or twenty of these huts one 
after the other like a little row of workmen's 
dwellings, and one might be struck at first with 
the thought that they could be seen, but the 
low-vision painting obviates all of this and they 
are quite safe. 

An interesting experience took place at the 
front recently when two French artists con- 
ceived the idea of having some sport with Fritz. 
Some old canvas, such as had been used to 
cover wagons, was located and cut up in strips 
and joined so that they could be rolled up on a 
pole. Then, with a bucket of paint and several 



The Art of Camouflage 157 

brushes, they set to work painting a railroad 
track with the ties, rails, etc., as it would look 
from above. It was painted with the purpose 
of attracting attention. 

After working for some time, they completed 
quite a stretch of "railroad.^' When enough 
was finished they carried their railroad out on 
a pole and unrolled it, always running it from 
one small clump of woods to another, so that it 
would have the appearance of a battery loca- 
tion. It would be left here long enough to at- 
tract the attention of some Boche aviator and 
when he started back in his machine to report 
the existence of a railroad at this particular 
location the Frenchmen would roll up their 
''railroad" and put it away. 

In a little while the shells would start 
coming in right where the "railroad'^ was. 
After a short time, or when they imagined 
the destruction complete, they would stop, 
then the Frenchmen would quickly unroll 
the "railroad" again and soon the Boche avia- 
tor would be seen flying over the lines to ob- 



158 Amhulancing on the French Front 

serve the destruction, but it must hare been 
much to his surprise to see it there in the same 
place untouched. He would then fly back again 
and as soon as he turned his tail homeward in 
would come the "railroad" — shortly more 
shells. This unusual railroad could be shifted 
from one location to the other at will, and, 
whenever the Boche were in the air, it always 
came in for its share of attention, but, unlike 
most railroads at the front, this one was never 



CHAPTER XVIII 

SPIES AND THEIR WORK 

For years we have heard of the efficiency of 
the Wilhelmstrasse, or Secret Service Po- 
lice of Germany, and everything we have heard 
regarding them has proved fairly accurate, 
sometimes even beyond our wildest expecta- 
tions. The Spy System of the German Gov- 
ernment is a wonderful organization, any way 
we look at it. Since 1870 it has been in the 
making. Its agents are everywhere, they speak 
all languages fluently. This enables them to 
carry on their systematic work of uncovering 
every fact, rumor, or suspicion that may be of 
importance to the German Government. 

England and France particularly, and all 
countries in general, have had convincing dem- 

159 



160 Amhulancing on the French Front 

onstrations of the thoroughness of German Se- 
cret Service activity for many years. Since the 
war broke out, they have been doing every- 
thing in their power to cope with the situation. 

Now that we are at war with Germany, it is 
well to remember that in this country, as well 
as in those of our Allies, secret agents of the 
German Government are constantly seeking 
information. Therefore, one of the greatest 
injustices the people of this country can do our 
Government is to impart any information to 
anyone except a government representative. 
Our friends who may be inclined to talk too 
much should be warned in a friendly way to 
say nothing. We can never tell who is sitting 
next to us in a train, car, boat, or any other 
public conveyance, and the little remark seem- 
ingly of no consequence, that passes your un- 
suspecting lips, may be the nucleus around 
which the spider may weave his web. 

There is no reason in the world why your 
friends or relatives in the American Expedi- 
tionary Forces over seas should not be per- 




Sacked and Burned 




Badonviller Destroyed by the Germans 



Spies and Their Work 161 

mitted to write you in detail all those things 
that form part of their daily experience. 
Moreover, there is no reason for maintaining 
such a thing as a censor. 

If all mail and information could be de- 
livered into the hands of the ones they 
are meant for, I am sure there would be no 
reason for such strict regulations, but there 
is no assurance that letters will not go astray 
and information fall into the hands of 
our enemies. And, besides, there are a lot of 
people who unconsciously reveal things that are 
written to them, and in this way information 
gets out broadcast, which, in many instances, 
proves most harmful to proposed military oper- 
ations. Therefore, we have the censor who 
keeps these matters under control and thereby 
eliminates a very fruitful source of informa- 
tion from falling into the hands of our ene- 
mies. 

In France one is particularly attracted by 
placards on cars, station platforms, and streets, 
flashing these words, ''Teshez Vous/' which. 



162 Amhulancing on the French Front 

mean "Close your mouth/' In other words, 
"The enemy is everywhere/' 

The sooner the people of this country 
^^Teshez Vous/' the sooner they will begin to 
deprive the people who are seeking information 
of one of their richest sources. Remember the 
€nemy is everywhere. 

It is most surprising to find by what dark 
and devious paths one may be approached when 
one's information is valuable enough to be re- 
quired, and the only sure way to keep from 
dropping threads of such information is to 
know nothing, and to discuss nothing with peo- 
ple one does not know — we cannot rely even 
on friends. We all have fool friends. 

Just before leaving Paris, for example, I be- 
came acquainted with a man whom I remem- 
ber very clearly as frequenting a certain cafe, 
posing always as a Hollander, but for a great 
many years past a resident of New York City. 
He manifested a great interest in American 
soldiers, and I have heard him ask the boys 
such questions as "How many Americans do 



Spies and Their Work 163 

you suppose there are now in France ?'' "How- 
many boys in your camp?'' "Where are you 
located?'' "Are you specializing in any par- 
ticular branch of fighting?" and a great many 
other questions along the same lines. As a 
demonstration of his sincere friendship for the 
American boys, he would say "Let me pay for 
this check." "Let's have another one for dear 
old America." 

Suddenly he disappeared. I afterwards 
learned that he had been quietly camouflaged 
by the police and that he would not be around 
again soon manifesting so much interest in 
what America might be going to do. 

It is very clear now to most people what 
took place in the case of a female German spy, 
a conspicuous figure in Paris, always seen 
in the characteristic garb of a South Ameri- 
can lady. She was never known to wear a 
hat, and was seldom seen without the typical 
mantilla, thrown over her straight, black hair. 
She had plenty of money, a Rolls-Royce always 
at her command, and everything that would 



164 Amhulancing on the French Front 

allay the slightest suspicion that she might be 
an agent of the German Government. 

Her game was meeting officers and seeking 
information from them. Working as agents 
with her were charming chorus girls from one 
of the most noted theaters in Paris. It was she 
who obtained the information regarding the 
extensive building program of English tanks 
and forwarded it to Germany. From her 
jaunty appearance, she was the last one to be 
suspected, but she turned out to be one of 
France's most dangerous enemies, and paid the 
price with her life before a firing squad in a 
French prison during the early part of last 
October. 

When the Germans advanced on Paris in the 
early stages of the war, located in the depart- 
ment of the Oise some thirty kilometers from 
that city was the old chateau Bornel Bon 
Eglise, where was stationed a French garrison 
to resist the invader at that point. As the Ger- 
man Army advanced, the French garrison re- 
tired to this chateau, in preparation for the 



Spies and Their Work 165 

stand to be made when protected by its 
walls. 

Everything was in readiness for the attack, 
when, at the psychological moment, the gates 
of this castle were suddenly thrown open and 
the Boches captured the chateau with very lit- 
tle trouble. Upon investigation it was after- 
wards found that the gatekeeper, a trusted em- 
ployee for many years, had been planted here 
for just such a service should the occasion 
ever arise when it would be necessary for some- 
one to accomplish just the thing he did. 

Such conditions can, without stretching one's 
imagination very far, be laid at the door of Ger- 
man Secret Service Agents. That is the kind 
of preparedness the Germans had been foster- 
ing for forty years. 

In a little village on the eastern front of 
France this year two soldiers on observation 
duty in a front-line trench noticed a small 
white dog roaming about ''No Man's Land.'' 
They followed his trail with much interest, 
and the last seen of him he was going under 



166 Amhulancing on the French Front 

the French barbed wire toward the rear of the 
lines. 

Nothing was thought of the wanderings 
of this dog until two nights later, when 
the same two men who happened to be on duty 
again observed the same dog crossing ''No 
Man's Land" and crawling under the German 
wire. This aroused their suspicion, and, as 
they came off watch, the incident was reported 
to the lieutenant, but he thought nothing of 
it, as with all armies there are mongrel 
pets belonging to soldiers. However, a few 
nights later the same dog was again seen back 
in the French lines. This caused enough curi- 
osity to bring him under closer observation, as 
it was quite unusual that a dog should frequent 
^'No Man's Land'' with such regularity. 

That same night, in the glow of a star shell, 
our canine friend was seen wending his way 
toward the German trenches^ and so or- 
ders were immediately issued to all the front 
line not to shoot the dog, as the command 
wished to investigate the haunts of the animal 



^ Spies and Their Work 167 

that seemed to choose "No Man's Land'' as his 
favorite playground. 

A few nights later our canine friend again 
appeared, and was seen crawling under the 
French wire and jumping over the front-line 
trenches, on his way back toward a little 
French village behind the lines. A couple of 
soldiers were detailed to follow him, which 
they did at a distance not calculated to alarm 
the dog, who walked along at a business-like 
gait until the outskirts of the town was 
reached. Then, with the suddenness of chain 
lightning, the dog bolted around a demolished 
wall down a side street and was lost to the view 
of his observers. It was impossible for his 
pursuers to give any information as to what 
had become of him. 

It happened that he was again seen that same 
night, returning under the wires and disappear- 
ing behind the German line. These facts called 
for carefully laid plans by the Division Head- 
quarters to intercept the dog in order to know 
more about his peculiar movements. After 



168 Amhulancing on the French Front 

waiting a few nights he was seen coming for 
the French lines and was allowed to pass un- 
molested, several men having been secreted 
along the line that he was now known to travel 
up to a certain point. On came the dog in his 
business-like way until, again reaching the out- 
skirts of the city, he broke into a run at top 
speed, dodged around tumbled-down dwellings, 
side streets, over walls, and again was lost to 
view. But on his return he was caught, and 
tucked away in his collar was a map drawn 
very small, but showing in detail the positions 
of some of the French batteries behind the lines 
at a certain point. 

The paper was put back in his collar and the 
dog allowed to proceed on his way, for if he 
returned to the German lines minus this paper 
it would immediately cause suspicion that he 
had been interfered with and might end his 
visits before the one sending the information 
could be caught. Orders were immediately 
dispatched to the battery mentioned in the com- 
munication to change its position. The next 



Spies and Their Work 169 

day brought the German shells to the exact lo- 
cation where the paper in the dog's collar had 
indicated this battery to be, but, of course, no 
damage was done, as the battery had been 
moved during the night. 

A very careful watch was now kept for this 
dog, and, a few nights later, he was captured 
and a very fine thread tied to his collar in the 
hopes that it might be traced to the place where 
the information originated. The dog was per- 
mitted to proceed as soon as the thread was 
securely fastened to him, but when he felt the 
weight of the thread pulling on his collar he 
turned and retraced his steps. The thread was 
broken and the dog released in the hope that 
he would return for the information, but he 
balked and was soon back in the German lines. 

The return of the dog without information 
must have caused a change of plans, as the dog 
did not appear again for several days. Finally 
he appeared, and in readiness for him was a 
French police dog, which was immediately put 
on his trail. The police dog, being allowed to 



170 Ambulancing on the French Front 

go a little too soon, caught up with the German 
dog at the edge of the village. Here the Ger- 
man dog had always broken into a run, and, of 
course, the police dog became excited and 
downed the German dog in his tracks. Before 
they could be interfered with, the spy dog was 
very badly mutilated. Thus ended his visits. 

Although merely a dumb animal he seemed 
to possess almost human intelligence, winning 
the respect of the French army men. It was 
not their intention that harm should befall him 
and they were much grieved that he went back 
to his own a cripple for life. 

Carrier pigeons are employed as messengers 
in the spy service of the German Army. While 
in Paris I was with a captain of English ar- 
tillery who became a very close friend. He re- 
lated to me the following account of how his 
battery was sent into action on a certain sector 
which I know will prove of interest. 

On a certain day orders were received from 
his Division Headquarters to take up a position 
near the village of R . The battery 



^ Spies and Their Work 171 

responded quickly and occupied the loca- 
tion for two days. It was most noticeable 
that very few shells came that way. On the 
morning of the third day quite a little aerial 
activity was evident, but nothing much was 
thought of it. The position seemed to be very 
secure, as it was in quite a heavy clump of 
woods. But shortly after noon the shells be- 
gan breaking closer and closer until they 
got so hot that the position became untenable. 
Consequently the battery was moved to another 
clump of woods quite a distance away, where 
again all was quiet. 

Next morning the captain was much sur- 
prised to see a peasant with two horses 
ploughing in the field just back of the new 
position and also that the Boche aviators 
were again hovering over the lines. Shortly 
after noon, as on the day previous, shells be- 
gan to drop around the new location and in 
the field behind. It appeared to the Captain 
that it must be a pretty hot place for a farmer 
to be ploughing so serenely, therefore, he 



172 Amhulancing on the French Front 

stepped out of the woods to investigate, but 
found the farmer had gone. The shells were 
coming in so close to the battery position that 
it was again found necessary to move, this 
time to a very heavily wooded location further 
on to the right. After the move was completed 
all became quiet again. 

The following morning the Captain observed 
the same peasant ploughing again in the field 
and also that an unusual aerial activity had 
opened near his new location. It seemed nec- 
essary to investigate so he went back to the 
location first occupied by his battery and found 
a double furrow ploughed behind the old bat- 
tery position. Further observation disclosed 
the same double furrow directly behind the 
second location, and now the third furrow was 
being run. Sure enough these furrows were 
signals to the sky pilots, for shortly afterwards 
shells began to land around the new location, 
but the peasant was nowhere to be found. On 
orders quickly given the battery was at once 
moved back into the original position. 



Spies and Their Work 173 

With the morning came the same peasant 
with his two horses and plough, but he had 
run his last furrow on this earth the day be- 
fore. A blow with an iron wrench ended his 
activities forever. That afternoon enemy 
aeroplanes hovered overhead, awaiting the new 
furrow that was never ploughed. 



CHAPTER XIX 

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT 

MoRT Homme, 
August 25th, 191 7. 
Dear Ed : — 

You no doubt think ill of me not to have an- 
swered your letter, but I know you will over- 
look my seeming neglect after you have read 
this. 

Have you ever experienced a feeling of 
complete disaster when suddenly everything 
changed and you saw a decent place to get 
some sleep, and a good hot meal in the bargain ? 
Well, that is what just happened to us after 
we left ''Heir' behind, but, even now, when 
anyone drops anything, or yells, I find myself 

174 



Letters From the Front 175 

taking to cover. No, I haven't shell shock. I 
simply cannot fully collect myself. 

No doubt by this time you are acquainted 
with the details of the recent attack at the 
Bois d'Avicourt, where the French just nat- 
urally kicked the stuffings out of the Boches 
and walked away with such positions as Hill 
''304/' Avicourt, and Mort Homme (Dead 
Man), But, even if you are, I know you will 
enjoy some of my experiences during that fight 
— so here goes. 

After leaving Paris we took the train to 
Chalons and there we got our cars. The whole 
section is made up of little Fiats, and so you 
see we got a good start. We were on our way 
across country passing through Bar le Due and 
on up to a little town called Erize La Petite, 
about fifteen miles from Verdun. The town 
was misnamed by someone, for I think they 
meant to call it ''La Petite Dump." However 
unfortunate that may be, we remained there 
for two weeks, sleeping in an old barn, until 
one night it rained so hard that we swam to 



176 Amhulancing on the French Front 

our cars and finished our rest, soaking wet. 
We were all as disgusted as could be when 
orders came that we had been assigned to the 
25th Division and were to move up to join it 
the following day for the attack, which was to 
take place three days later. The following day 
found us crawling up to the town of Brocourt, 
where the hospital is located. The Boches 
shelled this village with high explosives that 
night. A doctor informed me that they did 
this systematically every night at the same 
hour. 

Morning came and we were ordered up far- 
ther front. From the way the shells were 
coming down on us I thought we were joining 
the German Army instead of the French. We 
halted in the village of Reciecourt. I want to 
state right here that I was perfectly satisfied 
with the place we had left, and La Petite Dump 
seemed to me like 'Taradise Lost,'' for, on our 
way up to Reciecourt, we stopped four times to 
wait for the Huns to quit shelling the road 
ahead of us. Upon our arrival we began hunt- 




Sixty Feet From a German Front-Line Trench 



Letters From the Front 17T 

ing for a house to use as a base, but the best 
we could do was to find one with two shell 
holes through the roof. We took it just the 
same. 

That afternoon Singer, who is our chief, and 
Paul Hughes, our sous-chief, took two ambu- 
lances and drove with one man from each car 
up to the different posts we were to serve dur- 
ing the attack. Joe Widner, you remember 
him, is my teammate on our car, and I flipped 
a coin to see which of us would take the ride.. 
I won the toss. 

Ten of us got into one ambulance and ten 
into another. I went with Singer, and as I got 
in I remember Singer threw the latch down on 
the back of the car and we could not get 
out, for it could be opened only from the out- 
side. 

Now this was my first experience under 
heavy shell fire, and I did not relish the thought 
of being sewed up in this ambulance, unable to 
get out if I wanted to, for I always have been 
a pretty good sprinter and I felt if it got too 



178 Amhulancing on the French Front 

hot I might be able to beat a couple of shells 
down the road; but, with the door locked, 
what a chance! As we went forward, we 
passed several large French batteries beside 
the road, all of them hammering away at 
Fritz. The farther forward we went the more 
numerous the guns, all more or less concealed. 
The front of the car was open and right ahead 
of us there came a terrific crash. I heard 
Singer say, "That one sure came close." 

"That what?" I yelled back. 

"That shell," he replied. 

Then I realized what a cute little place we 
were locked in, and, believe me, I got sick all 
over. I felt that my feet were shrinking and 
my shoes were falling off. My thoughts took 
on some speed. How gladly I would have 
changed this dirty shell-riddled ambulance for 
a Broadway subway. I kept my eyes glued on 
the floor of the car, with no idea of where we 
were or where we were going until we jolted 
around a sharp turn in the road and ran into 
a fallen tree. Naturally, the car stopped, and 



Letters From the Front 179 

Singer opened up the exit and said, "This is the 
first post/' 

My release from that car gave me a new- 
lease on life, and I began to take notice of the 
environment, after making sure that I was 
still intact. There were five or six dugouts 
here ; in front of one were two men seated at a 
table. In front of them was a little plot of 
ground containing some newly made graves. 
Over to the right was a gang of men digging 
a long ditch about eight feet wide and eight 
feet deep. I thought it was a trench. Mills 
Averill, however, suggested it was to bury 
garbage. So we asked, in our sign language 
mixed with Franco- American French. One of 
the men looked up from his writing long 
enough to say, ''Pour V attack'' (For the at- 
tack). Good God, Eddie, it was a grave big 
enough for a regiment, and just to think that 
it was for men who at that very moment were 
alive and in perfect health ! I cannot tell you 
my feelings at this gruesome sight. 

At this moment a wagon drove up. The 



180 Amhulancing on the French Front 

diggers laid down their tools and went over to 
it. I am sure it was a dead man they lifted 
out, for I saw his feet on the stretcher, but the 
rest of the poor devil was in a burlap bag. I 
did not try to see the rest of the human debris 
that came out of this death cart. The men at 
the tables wrote some records, and the ditch 
received the mass. This was anything but a 
pleasant experience for green men, and only 
our first post at that. 

We climbed into the car and visited each of 
the other posts, and as we went along the sights 
that met our eyes were always worse than at 
the previous place. As we pulled up in front 
of what we thought was our last post Singer 
said there was one more, but we couldn't go 
up in the car except under cover of darkness. 
So we started out on our shoe leather, and it 
was some walk. The mud was knee deep and 
clingingly affectionate. 

Nothing ever seemed quite so good as when 
we turned our faces toward the rear. That 
night, in my dreams, there seemed to be all 



Letters From the Front 181 

sorts of little mistakes being made, such as 
planting me in the hole at Post No. i, with the 
dead men. Tough stuff to dream about, — ^you 
can imagine how much rest I had. 

The next day Joe and I went on duty. We 
had to stay through the entire morning of the 
attack, for all twenty cars were in use. Our 
post began in order from Reciecourt. Going 
out were P4, P2, PJ left, PJ right, P3 and R4. 
There were four cars at P4 and two at PJ 
right. If a car came down with wounded from 
PJ, left post, it would stop at P4, and a car 
would be dispatched from here to take its place. 
P2 and PJ right were on the same road, so 
when a car came down from PJ, right, a car 
would go up from P2. The car coming in 
always continued on to the hospital. P3 and 
R4 were worked only on calls, and R4 only at 
night, for in daylight they would have been 
blown off the road. It was a sort of muddled 
schedule, but the shell fire was so heavy that 
no telephone wires could stand for a half hour. 
So we made the best of a bad situation. 



182 Amhulancing on the French Front 

The French were bringing up guns contin- 
uously, all sizes from 37's to large-caliber Ma- 
rine pieces. They would take up firing posi- 
tions alongside the roads and fire over our 
heads. When they let loose the ambulance 
would rock with the concussion. 

We had two runs in from P4 during the 
night, and at three-thirty a. m. the barrage fire 
began and it was terrible. We could not hear 
the Boche shells break. It was all one great 
uninterrupted roar, made by four thousand 
cannons. Can you imagine such a thing in that 
small sector? Joe and I went up to PJ right 
about four a. m. As we turned a corner we 
found an artillery caisson that had been hit. 
The horses lay dead in the road. What had 
become of the men I do not know, and we did 
not try to find out, for when we saw that we 
could just barely get by we kept on going. 

As we neared a crossroad we found the 
shells falling so thick we had to pull up and 
wait for an opportunity to dash by. It soon 
came. We did not have to listen for the 



Letters From the Front 183 

Boche shells for we could see them break very 
plainly. Ahead of us was another sharp turn 
leading down into a little valley at the other end 
of which was the post. Suddenly a car ap- 
peared, running towards us like mad. As it 
approached we recognized Bud Riley and 
Eddie Doyle. Bud was driving, his eyes bulg- 
ing out of his head as he leaned over the steer- 
ing wheel watching the road. He never even 
glanced at us. His car was full of wounded 
and Eddie Doyle had to stand on the run- 
ning board. As we passed he yelled, "God be 
good to you fellows for you are going into 
Helir 

Joe was driving, and on receiving this news 
he let up on the speed a bit, for, if we were 
going where Eddie said, Joe thought we had 
better take our time about it. 

He looked at me and I looked at him. I 
finally ventured to say, "Cheerful, isn't it?" 
but Joe must have been thinking of Flatbush. 
Then we turned the corner and we discovered 
that Doyle was right. The whole gully was a 



184 Amhulancing on the French Front 

mass of dead horses and wrecked wagons and 
parts of human bodies. The Germans had put 
over gas and caught the wagon train in the 
valley. The horses were harnessed and could 
not get away. Evidently some of the drivers 
stayed too long. Paul Hughes, Singer, Arm- 
strong, Halverson, Woodell and CoUedge had 
gone up ahead of us, and were cutting harness 
and releasing some horses that were yet alive, 
and driving them up to higher ground out of 
the gas. They saved a great many by a little 
head work, and the Government rewarded 
them all with the Croix de Guerre. 

We stopped, as there wasn't room to get by, 
but soon Hughes came up and told us to go on 
over the heads of horses that could not be 
saved, which we did, and were soon at the 
post. All day we ran to and from the front, 
with our car full of wounded and dying. For 
twenty-four hours the twenty cars never had a 
rest. And, remember, we carried only bad 
cases. The others walked. 

The attack lasted five days, the German 



Letters From the Front 185 

prisoners pouring in over all the roads. Frank 
Carleton was also hit by shell splinters in the 
leg. He also got the War Cross pinned on his 
chest. The whole attack was rotten, many suf- 
fering from chlorine and tear gas. Singer is in 
bad shape from it and I guess we all show the 
strain. But we are lucky with it all, for there 
was not a car in the whole lot that did not have 
shell marks on it. 

The old Twenty-fifth Division suffered 
pretty badly, but the struggle was not without 
success, for Mort Homme, Avicourt and Hill 
''304" are in our hands, and I hope they will 
stay there. Besides, we have plenty of German 
prisoners. 

As this is the way I have been spending my 
time, you know I did not have much of an op- 
portunity to write letters. I must stop now and 
get a little sleep. If they shell us here to-night 
I hope they choke. 

Good luck. Ed Harding, Jim Baker, Bald- 
win, Creigier, Doyle, Riley, Joe, Tom and 
Armey are all O. K. and join me in sending you 



186 Amhulancing on the French Front 

their best. Remember me to the bunch with 
you. 

"Gus" Edwards, 

Section 60. 

a letter from salonika 
Dear Ed: 

I have just returned here from the front, 
and learned from your letter that you are in 
France. You don't know how glad I was to 
hear from you. My prompt reply will bear 
me out, for you know I am not much of a hand 
at writing letters. Let me commence by say- 
ing that if they ever want you to come down 
here, don't you do it, for, if there is one place 
that the Lord forgot to fix up just enough to 
be decent it's this Bulgarian front, and, from 
what I have seen, all the Balkan States are 
no better. 

Once in a while we get some papers 
which show pictures of the hardships the 
British Tommies are enduring with artillery, 
etc., in the Flanders mud. If they have any- 



L etters From the Front 187 

thing on us they must surely be in a bad way, 
because ninety-nine per cent of our front is 
mud. The remainder is — also mud. They 
have a roadway here and there at least. We 
never see what one would call a clearly defined 
path. It's just one big field of mud. 

The Monastir road is the main artery of 
travel out toward our front, and this has been 
so cut up by the never-ending traffic and 
through lack of other parallel roads that it is 
about as bad as you can imagine it. At the end 
of the road (this end) conditions are barely 
tolerable. 

The town Salonika itself is located on the 
sea in a sort of hollow, and around us like 
sentinels are the hills, which guard every ap- 
proach to the city proper for miles. Members 
high on the staflf say the city could never be 
taken from the land side, and from the sup- 
plies stored here I am sure they believe this 
to be a fact. I do not think it will be long 
before we will come in for our share of atten- 
tion in the columns of the newspapers, for we 



188 Ambulancing on the French Front 

have been expecting the development of mili- 
tary activity for some little time past. 

The sanitary conditions are much improved 
here and everything is done to counteract dis- 
ease. All kinds of improvements have been 
made, but the poor devils at the front are the 
ones that come in for their share. Men con- 
tract diseases here unknown to medical sci- 
ence, besides those that are known. Nearly 
everything reeks with malaria. I have taken 
enough quinine to run a arug store in the 
States six months, and while I, like many oth- 
ers, pride myself on the good fortune we 
are having, I am sure, in the days to come, we 
will see the effects which always follow. 

No doubt you are familiar with the Veni- 
zelos regime. I see him about quite often. 
The men that are with him are all bright, 
smart, up-to-date fellows, and with the Allies 
hammer and tongs, and they are far more 
loyal to Greece than the King's party, who fol- 
low the instructions of Kaiser Bill. 

Write me a long letter, for it helps a great 



Letters From the Front 189 

deal in such a place as this, and if you ever 
get some American newspapers you might send 
them on when you are through with them. 
Keep in touch with me, but don't ever think of 
coming here unless they tie you hand and foot 
and send you. 

Take good care of yourself and hand those 
wooden-headed Germans some hot ones. 
Your pal, 

Joe. 



CHAPTER XX 



EYES OF THE ARMY 



All military observation balloons are prac- 
tically *'the eyes of the army/^ They are gen- 
erally captive — always out of reach of enemy 
artillery fire. Of course, they may become the 
victims of surprise attacks from enemy 
aviators. 

These sausage-shaped craft are very impor- 
tant adjuncts to the fighting forces, and they 
have regular habits. They go up every morn- 
ing and come down every night. In this they 
are aided by the engine of some large auto- 
truck, which hauls them in or lets them go up, 
according to orders from the officer in charge. 
Their efficiency as posts of observation may be 
readily appreciated. There is nothing going 

on below for miles upon miles that cannot be 

190 



^ Eyes of the Army 191 

distinguished through the use of powerful 
glasses in the hands of skilled lookout men. 

With these fellows on watch very little can 
transpire that they are not likely to discover 
in a jiffy. The enemy tries to send a wagon 
train of ammunition to some point of advan- 
tage, when, bingo! some shells explode in 
their path- — then it's a case of jumping and 
running for their lives. Troop movements are 
subject to the same kind of attack, in fact, 
everything is an open book to the trained ob- 
servers, lolling about in the high altitude 
breezes, alert, however, to every little thing 
going on. 

It is most interesting to watch the work of 
the observation balloon, which always anchors 
close enough to the front to give it the advan- 
tage of seeing everything, yet far enough to 
the rear to protect it from being shot at by the 
enemy anti-aircraft batteries. It depends upon 
the contour and character of the ground, and 
at just what elevation the balloon officials can 
best observe. The great bag is held in place 



192 Ambulancing on the French Front 

by a steel cable, and has direct telephone 
communication with the artillery field sta- 
tion. 

This station is located so that all wires 
from the observation posts lead into it, as 
do also the wires from the field batteries 
along certain parts of the front. When any- 
thing transpires that seems of enough conse- 
quence to deserve a few shells, the observer 
phones the location as it appears on his chart, 
and a corresponding chart at the artillery bu- 
reau furnishes correct information to the of- 
ficers in charge, as though they were looking 
at the very spot themselves. The range is 
computed and phoned to the battery that com- 
mands the particular location of the objective. 
The range is soon found and the firing begins. 

It is then the duty of the gas-bag observers 
to inform the bureau the moment a shell ex- 
plodes, setting forth the information that is 
necessary for corrections in the event that the 
shell missed; also whether it exploded before 
reaching the object or passed beyond. The 




Trying on the Gas Masks 




Badonviller Barricaded for Street Fighting 



Eyes of the Army 19S 

moment this information is secured corrections 
in the range are immediately made, phoned to 
the battery, and the second shell is sent scream- 
ing on its way. After which corrections are 
again given, until finally the observer comes 
back with the word "'hit." They then have the 
range and can hammer away at the position 
until they have completed the necessary de- 
struction. 

So accurate has this system become that^ 
with an observation balloon to govern and ob- 
serve, artillery fire, after the second and third 
shot, will come uncomfortably close to its ob- 
jective, if it does not make a direct hit. The 
accuracy of cannon-fire nowadays is remark- 
able, and, although batteries may be located 
in clumps of trees of even hidden by hills, they 
have reached a perfection almost beyond be- 
lief. Thus it may be readily seen that the 
observation balloon plays an important part 
in modern warfare. Because of these ob- 
servation balloons, there has seldom been, if 
ever, such a thing as concentrations of large 



194 Amhulancing on the French Front 

bodies of troops for attacking purposes, or un- 
ending streams of caissons bringing up shells 
or supplies without coming under the eye of the 
observer. 

One day on the eastern front an artillery 
commander in our division started out on a 
tour of inspection. He arrived at a certain 
position, where a new battery was being lo- 
cated in a clump of woods just off the road- 
side. In preparation for the new battery some 
concrete work was being done on foundations. 

Pulling up on the road in a clearing, the 
officer and his aide stepped out of the car, fol- 
lowed by the chauffeur, and entered the woods 
to review the work. At a distance, so small 
that it could scarcely be seen, was a German 
observation balloon. The party had no sooner 
entered the woods when they were attracted by 
the explosion of a shell in close proximity. This 
was soon followed by a second, which landed in 
the road, and then a third, which struck beside 
the front end of the auto they had just left and 
blew it into fragments. 



Eyes of the Army 195 



One thing that comes under the eye of a 
person traveling along the military roads in 
France is the large number of soup kitchens 
that lie toppled over along the roadside. The 
reason for this is that there are always so 
many of these soup kitchens going to and 
from the front along roads that can be seen 
from enemy observation balloons, and they 
can be shelled with deadly and unerring accu- 
racy. 

It is a most rare occurrence for the drivers 
of these soup kitchens to be injured or 
wounded, for they can hear the shell com- 
ing and dive off of the kitchens into the road- 
side or run for their lives. Meanwhile the shell 
will make a direct hit and blow the soup kitchen 
to pieces. 

Observation balloons are a hindrance to 
operations that the enemy desire to be unob- 
served; therefore aviators are dispatched 
against them and instructed to clear them 
from the skies. Of course, there is no means 
by which an observation balloon can resist sue- 



196 Amhulancing on the French Front 

cessfully an attack by an aviator, even if 
equipped with a machine gun, because the 
aviator will always attack it from above. 

The best opportunity to destroy observation 
balloons always comes on cloudy days, when 
an aviator can circle around in the clouds un- 
til he gets directly over the balloon, and drop, 
unobserved, upon it. Then, with a machine 
gun, or an incendiary bomb, he can put it out 
of existence. When the observers see that 
they cannot get away from the enemy aviator 
their only chance is to jump from the basket 
with a parachute, as the moment the bomb 
strikes the gas bag and the contents ignite, it 
becomes an "inferno.^' 

Two interesting incidents took place at 
Verdun in connection with observers and en- 
emy aeroplanes after their gas bags had been 
struck and destroyed. In the first instance, 
the observer jumped from the basket, and was 
descending toward the earth suspended and 
swinging at the end of a parachute, like the 
pendulum of a clock. 



Eyes of the Army 197 

The enemy aviator, for additional exercise 
and excitement, circled around and descended 
along with the parachute, shooting at the ob- 
server as he swung through the air, with his 
machine gun, until he got his man. But in so 
doing he descended closer to the ground than 
he had contemplated doing, and a well-directed 
shot from an anti-aircraft battery brought 
both himself and his plane tumbling to the 
earth. 

The second instance was where a Boche 
aviator had dropped out of the clouds and an 
observer, seeing there was no chance to get 
away from him, quickly jumped from the 
basket of his balloon with a parachute. The 
bag was struck shortly after and burst into 
flames. 

It must have been the intention of the 
Boche to have some machine-gun exercise with 
this observer, for he circled around and tried 
to get into a position to fire. Before he could 
accomplish this the observer, swinging 
through the air, drew an automatic revolver. 



198 Ambulancing on the French Front 

and with a well-directed shot hit the aviator 
and killed him. 

Observation balloon work is considered a 
very dangerous branch of the service, inas- 
much as observers do not have an opportunity 
to protect themselves from enemy aviators and 
must rely chiefly on anti-aircraft batteries for 
protection. 



CHAPTER XXI 

ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERIES 

Located all along the front are batteries, 
which consist principally of French cannon 
that we have heard so much about, known to 
the world as 75's. While this type is most fre- 
quently used, there are some aircraft batteries 
of larger caliber, known as the 105's. The 
reason that these two types of guns are used 
exclusively is due to their flexibility. They 
can be changed to different angles and eleva- 
tions and be fired with the rapidity so neces- 
sary in following an aeroplane in flight. 

Aircraft batteries are always located where 
protection is necessary from aviators in the 
rear of the lines, also in the event of the enemy 

199 



200 Amhulancing on the French Front 

aviator being able to get by the batteries up 
front. 

The guns are mounted over a pit on a re- 
volving platform that can complete a circle. 
Counterweights are attached to the gun for 
elevation so that it can be changed quickly 
from the horizontal to very near a 90-degree 
angle, the direction, of course, being obtained 
by the shifting of the revolving platform. 

Some very novel contrivances have been de- 
veloped for computing ranges, and each air- 
craft battery uses every available device that 
is likely to assist them in making flying un- 
comfortable for the Boches. Where there are 
two or more of these batteries they are con- 
nected up with each other by telephone, and, 
as an enemy flyer comes within range of their 
guns, the angles are phoned back and forth, 
and with this knowledge they can make the 
location untenable, even if they do not bring 
the flyer down. I have seen many an enemy 
flyer get into these pockets and rejoice at the 
moment he discovered the trap that there were 



Anti-Aircraft Batteries 201 

some clouds close by into which he could dodge 
and get away with his skin intact. 

These planes are, in most instances, observa- 
tion planes, either to see what is transpiring 
behind the lines or to take photographs of 
enemy positions. The bombing planes work 
mostly under cover of darkness, which enables 
them to come down much closer to earth. 

To meet this condition there is located at 
each aircraft battery a device known as an 
audiphone. It is a large box-shaped affair, 
made of sheet metal about thirty-six inches 
square. Inside are fastened four small cones, 
in appearance much like victrola horns. These 
are in turn connected with a vibrator similar 
to that in an ordinary telephone receiver. To 
this are attached two rubber tubes, identical 
with the instrument used by doctors called a 
stethoscope, for listening to the heart. 

This equipment is fastened to a post, and 
can be turned in any direction. The box- 
shaped device, working on a common axle, can 
be elevated or lowered at will. When an avi- 



202 Amhulancing on the French Front 

ator is in the air a lookout places the two hard 
rubber tubes to his ears and turns the equip- 
ment in the general direction of the supposed 
location. 

He then elevates and lowers the box- 
shaped device until he arrives at a position 
where the clearest motor vibrations are re- 
ceived, the post being marked off in degrees, 
like the revolving gun-platform. The arrow 
on the audiphone points to the degree indi- 
cated on the post, and thus the direction is ob- 
tained and the gun trained at the same degree. 

Then there is a second arrow with a scale 
corresponding to the one upon which the gun 
is elevated. When the clearest vibrations 
come in, the angle at which the box rests is 
indicated, and this in turn is copied by the gun. 
The distance is estimated by the strength of 
the vibrations coming in on the receiving in- 
strument. The general location is phoned to 
the searchlight stations and the light is pro- 
jected to afford the batteries observation in 
the event that the aviator changes the direc- 



Anti-Aircraft Batteries 203 

tion of his flight after the first shot is fired. 

These projectors in many instances depend, 
of course, upon the locations where the greatest 
aerial activities take place, run up as high as 
four and a half feet in size, and with three or 
four searchlights playing into the heavens it 
is very easy to discern an aeroplane, unless it 
is flying very high. 

The French 75^s make a wonderful anti-air- 
craft gun that, with the remarkable perfection 
that gunners have attained, insures an enemy 
aeroplane quite a warm reception. But, at 
best, machines brought down by either side by 
anti-aircraft guns are very few, for no matter 
how good the marksmanship the aeroplane 
always has the advantage. He can take to 
higher levels quickly and the higher his eleva- 
tion the greater his security. 

When a shot is fired at him in a certain posi- 
tion he knows that it will be from eight to 
eighteen seconds before the projectile will reach 
his elevation. By merely changing his course 
in a fast machine, four or five seconds will take 



204 Amhulancing on the French Front 

him three or four hundred feet away from the 
bursting shell. But the frequency of direct 
hits in lower altitudes does not warrant avia- 
tors taking chances. They'd better be on their 
way. 



CHAPTER XXII 



HAND GRENADE WORK 



There are two kinds of hand grenades, of- 
fensive and defensive. The first is employed 
in all offensive operations and to explain its 
use more clearly it is well to start with the 
bombers, popularly known as the suicide club. 

Before an attack is made, in most instances, 
a barrage fire is put over on the enemy trenches 
and the length of this preparation depends on 
the extent of the oflfensive and on the area 
over which it spreads. The purpose of this 
barrage fire is to blast out of existence all of 
the enemy machine guns on the parapet of the 
trenches that are to be attacked. 

It must be understood that with a heavy 
barrage fire on their front-line positions the 

205 



206 Amhulancing on the French Front 

enemy would be unable to keep many men in 
readiness at the guns, and the machine guns 
themselves would be endangered if they were 
left exposed. Therefore they take to the dug- 
outs with guns and all other equipment. 

Chosen from the regiments, there are cer- 
tain men known as bombers, who are ready, at 
a specified time, with another kind of equip- 
ment — a large basket-shaped pocket swinging 
at their waists filled with hand grenades. 
They are always ready in the front-line trench 
to go over at the time set by the command. 
The barrage fire still plays on the enemy lines 
when the bombers charge across "No Man's 
Land.'' It is their task to keep the enemy and 
their machine guns in their dug-outs so that 
they cannot drag them to the parapets of the 
trenches for use against the infantry, which 
invariably follows the bombers "over the 
top." 

The grenade used by the bombers in an of- 
fensive of this kind is a trifle larger than a 
good-sized lemon; projecting from one end is 



Hand Grenade Work 207 

a pin, on which there is a touch button. 

Touch the button and the pin does the rest. 
It ignites a fuse on the end of which is an 
explosive cap, similar in design to the caps we 
use in this country for dynamite blasting. The 
cap sets off the charge which is supposed to 
be one of the most powerful and deadliest of 
explosives. 

The shell of the grenade is corrugated 
into little squares that break up and fly in 
all directions when the charge is exploded, 
and covers a large area on its mission 
of destruction. Much care and skill is re- 
quired of the bomber, since he must be able 
to throw a grenade with great accuracy and 
always far enough to keep himself from being 
injured. 

There is a common notion abroad that bombs 
are thrown like baseballs, but this idea is 
erroneous. The method employed is radically 
different. Grenades are timed so that they go 
off quickly after reaching their objective and 
within five seconds of the time when the first 



208 Ambulancing on the French Front 

throwing motion is made and the time fuse is 
going. 

During the early part of the war the mo- 
ment a grenade was started fusing it was the 
desire of the bomber to get it on its way as 
quickly as possible. The Germans noticed that 
the grenades did not go off for several seconds 
after they landed, and, in many instances, 
picked them up and hurled them back. Many 
of our men were killed in this way before they 
learned to measure the time accurately. 

All along the front, in back of the lines, are 
fields where one may see companies of men 
practicing daily with grenades. Their work is 
a most important factor in modern warfare, 
as the defenders of a trench rely chiefly on 
their machine guns to resist infantry attacks. 
Should the bombers contrive to hold the enemy 
in their dug-outs, their own infantry can cross 
over without having to face a death-dealing 
stream of bullets that would be poured into 
them by three or four machine guns. 

Strange to say, of all the men making up the 




Awaiting Orders Behind the Front 



Hand Grenade Work 20^ 

different branches of service around base and 
army hospitals one rarely ever sees a maimed 
bomber. It is one thing or the other with these 
fellows. They come back whole or not at alL 
A most dangerous work is that of the bomber, 
as he is always the first to go over, and, of 
course, offers a tempting mark for whatever 
machine guns are not in the dug-outs but re- 
main on the parapets of an enemy trench. 

Defensive grenades have a different classi- 
fication and are employed in a distinctive way. 
Any or all infantrymen of an army may be 
equipped with this form of grenade. They 
are made on a principle diametrically opposite 
to that of the offensive grenade. The best of 
these are manufactured by an English con- 
cern and are very reliable. The element of 
danger in its operation is very slight. They 
are used principally for the destruction of 
barbed-wire entanglements, in order that in- 
fantrymen may make a quick passage over 
"No Man's Land.*' 

Should one of these grenades land alongside 



210 Ambulancing on the French Front 

of a post supporting the enemy barbed wire, 
the explosion which follows is so tremendous 
that it will shatter that post into bits, causing 
all of the wire to drop to the ground. This 
will afford enough gaps to make passage free 
and easy. 

The defensive grenade is vastly different in 
structure and function, as the jacket contain- 
ing the charge is a tin composition, very light 
in construction, so that every particle of force 
will be effective at a given point, without the 
necessity of having to break through a heavy 
iron shell. Just enough weight is used in the 
body of this type; it is devoid of the pin and 
the button, but has a handle held in place by 
a cotter pin on the end of which is a ring. 
When the ring is pulled it draws the cotter pin 
from the locking device on the body of the 
grenade, which holds the handle in a safe 
position. 

Before the pin is pulled the bomber must 
have the handle clamped down securely in the 
palm of his hand with the grenade, for the 



Hand Grenade Work 211 

moment the handle is allowed to fly up the 
grenade begins fusing and must be thrown. 

As long as the handle is held securely in its 
original position, even though the pin be 
drawn, it is harmless. It is, however, ready 
for service in the fraction of a second, and 
makes an ideal defensive weapon for instant 
use. It can be thrown directly in front of a 
man rushing at you with a bayonet, and it will 
blow him into fragments. At the same time 
there will be perfect security to the one who 
launches it, but, at five times the distance, an 
offensive grenade would prove a boomerang. 
For cutting down enemy barbed wire, there is 
nothing so effective, except heavy artillery, 
which can compare with this high explosive 
hand grenade for terrific power of destruction. 

There is a newer form of grenade now in 
use, which is fired from a regular rifle. An 
attachment like a cylinder is fastened to the 
barrel of the rifle and a regulation cartridge 
inserted into the cartridge chamber, as when 
it is to be ordinarily fired. Then a grenade is 



212 Amhulancing on the French Front 

placed in the cylinder and the gun is dis- 
charged while held at the height of the waist 
line, the muzzle being elevated or lowered ac- 
cording to the distance the grenade is to be 
thrown. There is a gauge showing where the 
grenades will approximately strike at different 
elevations of the muzzle, and it is surprising 
with what accuracy they will reach their ob- 
jective. This method is used where the dis- 
tance is too great for throwing by hand. The 
ball, when fired, passes down the rifle barrel 
and through the grenade, striking a contact 
spring, which starts it fusing. The gas from 
the explosion of the powder in the chamber 
forms the propelling power. 

A great many other contrivances are used 
for the launching of grenades, such as various 
forms of spring traps. The French have a 
pneumatic device, — a cylinder in which the 
grenade is placed, and the pressure for launch-' 
ing it is produced by means of a pump, not un- 
like in design that of the automobile tire pump. 
All these different devices, while serving a pur- 



Hand Grenade Work 213 

pose, do not meet all requirements as effec- 
tively as does the grenade which is launched by- 
hand. It is a most dangerous missile and hard 
to get away from. 

One serious danger to which consideration 
must be given and into which Americans are 
apt to be tempted is the collection of souvenirs 
of war. All along the front one sees many 
things that are of interest, — unexploded shells, 
hand grenades, and the like. The inexperi- 
enced, unsuspecting the danger of such things, 
are tempted to pick them up and examine them. 

This has caused many a death. It is a risk 
that should never be taken, for it is only an- 
other way of courting death. Not every shell 
or grenade that is sent over explodes, and many 
actually lie intact for days only to explode at 
some slight disturbance. One only needs to 
observe the French, who are familiar with all 
angles of the game through their three and a 
half years' experience, to learn what they 
think about tampering with shell heads. 

A regular corps of men, appointed generally 



214 Amhulancing on the French Front 

from some artillery battery, make it their duty 
to look after unexploded shells, either by set- 
ting them off, or by carting them away and 
burying them, — ^likewise unexploded hand 
grenades. These are collected and buried, but 
many an experienced man has come to his 
death while clearing up roads and fields of 
these unexploded missiles. 

There have been instances known on dif- 
ferent fronts where the Germans have ''fixed'^ 
everything they leave on the field, allowing 
shells and grenades to lie there for someone 
to pick them up. An attractive officer^s helmet 
might catch one's eye and appear to be just 
about the most harmless thing in the world. 
But to touch it more than likely means death. 



CHAPTER XXIII 

THE AMERICAN Y. M. C. A. 

An honest confession is said to be good for 
what ails you, mentally and physically, so here 
goes with reference to my erstwhile ignorance 
concerning that great and growing organiza- 
tion known to all the world as the Young 
Men's Christian Association. FU admit my 
prejudice. It goes back to the days when I 
invented every possible excuse to keep from 
going to Sunday-school, and so when I ar- 
rived at maturity I found myself shying toward 
the outer curbing every time. I used to pass 
quickly these quiet, orderly buildings, fearful 
that someone would rush out and thrust a les- 
son leaflet into my hand. 

Once I had a friend who, when in earnest 

215 



216 Amhulancing on the French Front 

conversation, would halt occasionally to point 
his long forefinger and say, ''Listen to the 
truth V — and that's the kind of a gesture and 
the exact words that I would use now if I 
should find it necessary to raise my voice in 
defense of the Y. M. C. A. 

I'll never forget the first one I visited. I 
was in Paris on leave of absence, along 
with another young man in the same service 
as myself. He suggested a visit to the 
Y. M. C. A., and, so far as my pleasure was 
concerned, he might just as well have sug- 
gested the morgue. The motion was car- 
ried, however, and I found myself being 
jostled along, speechless with disgust for hav- 
ing come all the way from the front-line 
trenches to waste my time at such a tame sort 
of a place. Visions of being met at the door 
with a bundle of "tracts" and a pocket Bible 
came into my mind's eye, but, on the theory 
that it never pays to be a joy-killer, I said 
nothing. In less time than it takes to tell it 
I found myself the worst fooled mortal of my 



The American Y. M. C. A. 217 

age and weight among all my numerous 
friends and acquaintances. 

Our taxicab drew up in front of a palatial 
building, which I recognized as our destina-^ 
tion, for I did know the triangular flag of the 
Y. M. C. A. We entered a large open court, 
where were several small tables and chairs, 
reasons for which we learned afterwards. 
Ascending a grand stairway we arrived at the 
second floor, or Club Room. At once two gen- 
tlemen stepped forward with a cheerful "Hello, 
Boys,^' and invited us to make ourselves "quite 
at home.^^ Almost immediately thereafter we 
were taken in tow and escorted around the 
place. 

At this moment I glanced at the peculiar 
expression on my friend's face. We had 
been there five minutes, and no one had 
handed either of us a Bible — which seemed 
most surprising to me. There were spacious 
lounging rooms, with big easy chairs, and 
tables heaped with books and magazines, also 
writing rooms, smoking rooms, victrolas, 



218 Ambulancing on the French Front 

pianos, billiard and pool tables, just as you find 
them in a genuine American club. It re- 
minded me of good old New York with all its 
comforts and ease. The atmosphere was that 
of wholesome refinement with a welcome in 
every face that beamed our way. 

Our escorts informed us that things were not 
exactly in shape as yet, but would be in full 
running order very shortly. For a place that 
was not in working trim I wondered what could 
be done to make it more complete. I was soon 
to learn that its growth since the war began 
had been phenomenal. It had become the prin- 
cipal rendezvous for the army boys, a home, 
indeed, to which they could come at any time, 
day or night, and get good hot baths and 
clean up. I was completely surprised, for in 
Paris, at the finest hotels, such a thing was 
impossible, except on Saturdays and Sundays, 
because of the conservation of fuel. ♦ 

Then, too, the Y. M. C. A. had established 
a Bureau of Tobacco, where the boys could 
obtain American cigarettes and cigars at a cost 



The American Y. M. C. A. 219 



which was much less than they could be bought 
even at home. The French Government would 
not allow cigarettes to be sent to the boys in 
service, unless the duty, which was prohibitive, 
was paid on them. One has to have but a 
single experience with *'army issue,'^ the 
name applied by the boys to the tobacco passed 
out to soldiers, to know what a big satisfaction 
it is to be able to walk up to the counter of the 
Y. M. C. A. with the feeling of ease one feels 
in going into one's home-town favorite cigar 
store or club. 

After showing us everything about the 
premises, our escort finally capped the climax 
by announcing, "It's four o'clock. Ice cream 
is ready to be served." 

Now, say, gentle reader, suppose you had 
been driving an ambulance for several months, 
practically day and night for weeks at a time, 
and that all you had known in the way of 
"eats'' was the same old stuff day in and day 
out? And, I ask you again, what would you 
say if suddenly you were invited to sit down 



220 Ambulancing on the French Front 

beside a daintily covered table in a delightful 
courtyard and found yourself confronted with ^ 
a heaping big dish of real ice cream. Never 
mind your answer. You'd be found ^^a-hang- 
ing around" the place at four o'clock every 
afternoon of your stay in Paris. That's what 
we did, and we were welcomed each time in 
that same cordial way. 

In the colder season, when it becomes too 
chilly for ice cream, the Volunteer Canteen 
Workers of the Y. M. C. A. establisTied a tea 
room, where at four p. m. hot coffee, choco- 
late and such things as home-made doughnuts, 
cakes and pies were served. This place did 
not go a-begging for popularity, as may well 
be surmised, for it was filled to capacity every 
day. 

It would be unjust to create the impression 
that the popularity of the American Y. M. 
C. A. is due to the fact that it serves good ice 
cream. That was only one of the many things 
that hit the right spot. 

The biggest attraction, to my mind, was 



The American Y. M. C. A. 221 

the spirit of sterling good fellowship which 
permeated the institution. The welcome 
was sincere. There was no snobbishness, 
no attitude of "look what we're doing for 
these fellows — shouldn't they be most aw- 
fully thankful." There wasn't a bit of that. 
On the other hand there was plenty of 
''there's nothing too good for you boys who 
are doing the job out there; we're going to 
serve you!" That is the attitude of the big- 
minded business men who have thrown open 
the doors of this institution in order that the 
boys from ''out there" might have comfort 
when on furlough in Paris. It was a big 
thought and it has kept many a youngster 
from going to the devil in that same big city. 
Before I left France, the Y. M. C. A. was 
making big strides in the establishment of Huts 
and Canteens along the front ; also around the 
villages where the divisions of the army go for 
rest. Here the men at the front can have an 
opportunity to purchase food and supplies. 
This in itself is a wonderful blessing for, in 



222 Amhulancing on the French Front 

the devastated towns along the front, it is im- 
possible to buy anything. 

Imagine the undying impression a man will 
retain of this wonderful organization when he 
recalls the day he was sent to the rear, drilled 
by a Boche bullet and dragging one foot after 
the other through the mud and water of the 
trenches, chilled to the bone, as he turned a 
corner and found tucked away in a hole in a 
wall a man who handed him a cup of steaming 
hot coffee; or, when that same man lies on a 
hospital cot in the rear, recovering, there 
comes a representative of this same wonderful 
institution with words of cheer and consola- 
tion. Such is the work that these men are do- 
ing and such the wonderful contribution to 
humanity it has proved to be ! 

While in London I spent most of my time at 
the Y. M. C. A. huts. There they serve regu- 
lar meals at a maximum cost of fourteen cents, 
which consist of soup, meat, potatoes, vege- 
tables, bread, butter, dessert and coffee. It is 
open to any of the men of the Allied armies. 



The American Y. M. C. A. 223 

I was particularly attracted one day to a group 
of boys sitting around a piano in the recrea- 
tion room, singing and playing. An American 
soldier played the piano, an American sailor 
played a violin, a Canadian a banjo, and an 
Englishman a mandolin. 

The ''choir'' was composed of a Belgian, a 
Scotch Highlander, an Irishman, a New Zeal- 
ander, an Australian and a Frenchman — with 
a dozen Americans thrown in. I inquired of 
one of our sailors how he liked London? He 
replied, ''Well, as much as I have seen of it, 
it's fine, but we boys spend most of the time 
right here at this piano." 

I found this to be true, for, no matter what 
time I would go there, the same crowd was 
always present, and the room filled with blue 
smoke thick enough to choke a Chinaman. 

The facts set forth are my only experiences 
with the Y. M. C. A., but let me commend to 
everyone the wonderful work that this organi- 
zation is doing, for if anything can hearten a 
man when he is away from all that is near and 



224 Amhulancing on the French Front 

dear to him it is the attention paid him by big- 
minded, big-hearted men who carry on the 
field work of the Y. M. C. A. No one preaches 
to you when you are under its roof, but there 
creeps into one's heart a new feeling that one 
longs to hold on to. I'm for the Y. M. C. A. 
strong. 




A Small 'Tersuader" at Verdun 




Field Telephone Station Controlling the. Shell Fire 



CHAPTER XXIV 



REAR-LINE DIVERSIONS 



During their leisure hours it is quite neces- 
sary for men to have something of interest 
to divert their minds ; the French miHtary au- 
thorities have been quick to reaHze the value 
of the old saying that all work and no play 
makes Jack a poor fighter. 

There is with each army corps a regularly 
established department devoted to the enter- 
tainment of the soldiers. They have also 
with them official kinematographers of the 
French Army, who take pictures of every- 
thing interesting that transpires in the sector. 
The films of one army, through a bureau, are 
exchanged with those of an army operating in 

another sector, for the benefit of the men so 

225 



226 Amhulandng on the French Front 

that they can see what is going on at the fronts. 
The shows are generally given in some little 
village at the rear, where the men who are not 
in the trenches are quartered. The program 
is changed each day and a sprinkling of come- 
dies are worked in to give the entertainment 
the proper flavor. 

Commencing at seven-thirty to eight p. m. 
the little streets are generally packed, long be- 
fore the time the doors are to open, and when 
they are thrown back you are generally lifted 
off your feet by the mad rush and scramble 
for seats. After being jostled about like a rub- 
ber ball, you may finally end up inside the 
theater — and occasionally outside. It's a case 
of come early or you don't see the show, be- 
cause there are no places large enough in these 
small villages to afford accommodation for all 
the men that are quartered there. 

On these occasions there is always music fur- 
nished by the regimental bands, and this is one 
of the features of the show. Many of these 
bands have men who are celebrities known 



Rear-Line Diversions 227 

internationally. We had in our division two 
grand opera singers and a violinist, who, be- 
fore the war, was the leader of the orchestra 
at Monte Carlo. 

As soon as the performance began the 
doors were closed to exclude all light, and 
the windows covered with heavy drapery. 
The minute the soldiers get inside, they light 
their pipes and cigarettes and settle down 
for an evening's entertainment. In ten 
minutes the place is filled with smoke, and an 
hour after the performance commenced it 
would seem impossible that a picture could be 
thrown on the screen. But no one seems to 
mind the smoke barrage so long as they are 
afforded amusements to divert their minds. 

Other evenings, at scheduled times, big 
events would come off in the form of a drama 
or a comedy, produced entirely by the soldiers. 
Some sketch was always presented where the 
largest men in the regiments took the parts of 
angels or some fellow with a beard portrayed 
the part of the ardent young lover. Of course. 



228 Amhulancing on the French Front 

to complete the performance, it was necessary 
to have a few women, and tKese not being 
available, someone had to make-up for the 
part. 

These were usually picked from among 
the mule drivers and cooks of the regiment (or 
somebody in similar positions, where dainti- 
ness in the execution of their regular work best 
suited them, in the judgment of the impresario, 
for the part). There was always a king who 
was a very stem ruler, likewise a fearless war- 
rior. The smallest man with the squeakiest 
voice generally fell heir to this role. All in all, 
the cast was usually very well selected, and it 
invariably produced just the effect that the 
entertainment committee desired. 

But the concerts given by the military bands 
were the real entertainments, after all. They 
were sure to exceed one's expectation, for they 
were classical and sublime. Selections from 
all of the leading operas were rendered in a 
most creditable way, and it was really a great 
pleasure to attend them. 



CHAPTER XXV 



"food will win the war" 



Upon my return to this country, after hav- 
ing lived as I did abroad, the billboards with 
the caption, "Food Will Win the War,'' was 
one of the first things that caught my eye, and 
I was deeply impressed with its significance, 
but a few days after arriving I was also des- 
tined to learn very soon how little these words 
seemed to mean to the average American. I 
visited, of course, several of the leading cafes 
and hotels, and from the menus one could 
hardly believe that this country is at war and 
allied with people and armies that are badly in 
need of food. 

No army can fight efficiently, laborers can- 
not toil in the manufacture of equipment and 

229 



230 Amhulancing on the French Front 

supplies for the armies in the field, unless they 
have the proper and sufficient food. 

America little realizes what France has 
accomplished along lines of conservation. Re- 
flect, for the moment, on the following facts. 
Before the war, France depended largely 
on this country for many foodstuffs, even when 
all of her tillers of the soil were following 
their agricultural work daily. Upon the out- 
break of war, all her able-bodied men of a 
military age were called to the colors. There 
was no one left to work the farms but 
women, old men and young boys, and natu- 
rally their domestic production fell off, though 
the demand for food was ever greater. More- 
over, one must consider the territory that has 
been devastated into regions of barren wastes, 
for, in August, 191 4, when the German armies 
swept througn northern France to the very 
gates of Paris, all the stock on farms were 
driven off and confiscated for their troops. 
Then in the retreat everything that was pro- 
ductive was destroyed. 



''Food Will Win the War'' 231 

It is not difficult to understand why the 
internal production of France has suffered a 
material decrease, and she must now lean just 
that much more on our assistance in the pro- 
viding of foodstuffs. With conservation work- 
ing in this country we can give them that which 
is really unnecessary to us, but vital to them. 
An order has just been issued to the French 
Army from Headquarters to cut down the daily 
bread ration of each soldier, and I want to 
say that I know what this means, for I have 
lived on it, and for nourishment, at the best, it 
is nothing to brag about. 

Some people think they are making a su- 
preme sacrifice in submitting to our wheatless 
day regulation, but they should dwell a moment 
on the thought that for over three years the 
soldiers, to say nothing of the women and chil- 
dren of France, have not seen a loaf of white 
bread. Their wheatless day is seven days a 
week and fifty-two weeks a year. 

I think I know the American people well 
enough to feel that they would not stand aside 



232 Amhulancing on the French Front 

and selfishly see men, women and children go 
without food, especially when they can give it 
without any great inconvenience to themselves. 
I feel it is the lack of a proper understanding 
that is the basic cause of food wasting in this 
country, and not a disregard for the suffering 
of others. 

Every time we sit down to a meal, either in 
the home or in a restaurant, and order more 
food than we can consume or need, we are 
taking from the reserve which does not morally 
belong to us and thereby depriving the man at 
the front of sufficient food. I think everyone 
will agree with me when I say that if there is 
anyone entitled to a decent meal once in a 
while it's the fellow who is ready to give up 
his life for his country — and all we are asked 
to do is to give up those habits which are un- 
necessary and wasteful. 

The great problem of winning this war 
rests with the American people, and if each one 
does his and her part, that will prove the de- 
ciding factor in defeating the Germans. 



''Food Will Win the War'' 233 

A noted statesman of Germany is credited 
with saying that Germany has not the slight- 
est fear of the American Army or Navy, 
But when the hundred miUion people rise up 
as a unit with undivided aim — that day will be 
the undoing of Germany. Now, this simply 
means that it is the American people that Ger- 
many is afraid of. 

It is very difficult to bring the nearness of 
the war home to each and every one of us. It 
is difficult, indeed, for each to realize that we 
are just as much a part of this war as the 
boys who wear the uniform abroad. The only 
difference is that they have given everything 
they have to give and we can only approach 
their one hundred per cent liberality by con- 
serving and rendering every assistance that is 
within our power to do by word, deed, and 
particularly money. 

Everyone should do his part as an individual 
patriot, so that when our hundred million are 
working as a unit, the sledge hammer blows of 



234 Amhulancing on the French Front 

our nation will be the undoing of a monster 
that will be swept from this earth with such 
force that it will never again menace liberty 
and freedom. 



CHAPTER XXVI 



HOMEWARD BOUND 



It is said to be something of a job to run 
over to Europe during these war times, with so 
many restrictions in the way of ocean travel, 
but if anyone ever found it hard to get there 
they should try leaving there. The day we 
were given our discharge from the French 
Army we started to leave. We soon found 
that if it had not been for taxicabs we would 
all be there to-day, for when the offices that 
control the routine and formality that one has 
to go through were finally located, the only 
person that was considered was the taxi driver, 
seemingly in order that he might come in for 
his share of your roll before you go out of the 
country. 

First it is necessary to go to the American 

235 



236 Amhulancing on the French Front 

Ambassador's office with your passport, and 
establish the fact that you really are yourself. 

Application must be made in writing for 
your return passage and all facts about your- 
self established. After this is done you get 
your stamp of approval, which makes you feel 
that you are fairly well started. 

The next in order, however, is a visit to the 
United States Consulate's office, and while this 
is not such a great distance away you feel that 
it is far enough. Here you get a second stamp 
of approval and are directed to the French 
Bureau of Military Control. This office is lo- 
cated out of town, possibly in order to afford 
the employees the fresh country air, and while 
you're getting there the taximeter does its 
share toward making the trip interesting and 
exciting, and causes one to lose all interest in 
the passing scenery no matter how beautiful. 

At the French Bureau you surrender your 
release from the Army and are given a third 
stamp of approval, this time with a paper, 
which must be taken to the Prefecture of Po- 



Homeward Bound 237 

lice. So again you sit and watch the centimes 
turn into francs, until youVe tempted to get 
out and walk. But where is this Prefecture 
of Police Bureau? Well, it's about the same 
distance on the other side of town as was the 
Bureau of Military Control on this side. On 
the theory that nothing from nothing leaves 
nothing, it would seem that for a weary soldier 
the only thing to do was to curl up on the rear 
seat and sink into dreamland. It might have 
turned out only a bad dream. I have heard 
shells flying by at a fast clip, but never did any- 
thing go so fast as the figures on that taxi- 
meter. 

From the looks of the records kept at the 
Police Bureau I am sure they would know if 
there was anything in the world to your dis- 
credit, but if you have a clean bill you are 
quickly O. K.M and are again on your way. 
When I got out of there I glanced at my driver, 
who was a young fellow when we started out, 
but having been gone so long I felt sure by now 
he had a beard that he could trip in. 



238 Amhulancing on the French Front 

On going back to America by way of Eng- 
land it is now necessary to pay a call upon the 
English Consul in Paris, who will look over the 
stamps the various offices have put on your 
passport in order to determine whether or not 
he would care to have you go back that way. 
This was my last taxi ride by way of kicking 
off the shackles that held me on foreign soil. 
Much as I loved France I was hungry for 
home and glad to feel that I was free to go 
there. 

The following morning found our crowd on 
the train bound for Havre. As we sped alon^ 
we passed just back of the front held by the 
English and, after an eight-hour trip, arrived 
at our destination. After transferring our 
baggage we were greeted with the pleasant in- 
formation that there had been a storm on the 
Channel and many mines had broken loose. 
Until the trawlers succeeded in sweeping them 
back into harness no boat would leave that 
port. 

Now the sad part of this news was that if 



Homeward Bound 239 

this boat did not leave during the night we 
would miss our steamer for America — and 
the boat did not leave. So we slept on board, 
and the next day was spent in the town. That 
night we got under way, the storm kept 
us company and our steamer did everything 
but run upside down. It was a messy-looking 
crowd that arrived in Southampton the next 
morning, but we stayed only long enough to 
attend a meeting of the customs officials, then 
we were off for London. We had missed our 
boat and must wait four days for a sailing on 
another line. 

That night I went to the theater, and after 
enjoying a good play for two hours the curtain 
descended abruptly and a gentleman stepped 
out on the stage to announce that there was 
an air raid on, and anyone choosing to leave 
could do so. There were a great many people 
who got up and left for the shelters that are 
provided throughout the city. In less than five 
minutes the curtain went up again and the per- 
formance was resumed. When we left the 



240 Amhulancing on the French Front 

theater autos and police bicycles plastered with 
signs, ^'Take to Cover/^ were speeding up and 
down the street. Most people went down into 
the underground railway stations, but the 
Boche did not penetrate the outer defenses 
and were only able to drop a few bombs on 
the outskirts of the city. During the four 
nights we spent in London there were three 
air raids. 

A great many American sailors were in 
London, and it happened that the Church of 
Saint Martin held services while we were 
there. We couldn't miss that chance. The 
King and Queen and Princess were in attend- 
ance, as well as Field Marshall French and 
Admiral Jellicoe, with other celebrities. 

After four days in London we left for Liver- 
pool to catch our boat, and sailed for dear old 
America on the evening we arrived. Hard 
luck seemed to pursue us, for the next morn- 
ing we found ourselves at anchor at the mouth 
of the river with the consoling news that two 
German submarines were lying outside the bar 




Ruins Along the Lorraine Front 



Homeward Bound 241 

awaiting our departure. So we stayed there all 
day in a dense fog and also that night, with 
about twelve other vessels of various sizes. 

The following morning we slipped anchor 
and in a few hours were well out into the 
Irish Sea, the heart of the infested area. If 
there is any place where U-boats are thick it is 
off the Irish coast. Nothing eventful hap- 
pened that first day but our boat was heavily 
armed and all the men were at their posts every 
minute. Meals were served to the gun crews 
at their posts. 

About seven-thirty that night, after we had 
come on deck from dinner, there was a report 
of a cannon behind us — a U-boat had come 
up fifteen hundred yards astern, and, not hav- 
ing a chance to launch a torpedo, took a shot 
at us with a small deck gun. It was so dark 
that the U-boat could not be seen, but our gun- 
ners at the stern could see the flash of their 
gun and took that for a target. Of course, we 
could not see a hit if one was made, but the 
U-boat did not fire any more. Probably its 



242 Amhulancing on the French Front 

officer did not care to try conclusions with so 
watchful a foe. 

We did not wait to investigate. Full steam 
ahead soon put distance between us. All went 
well the rest of the night and the following 
day, each minute making our travel safer, and 
soon we were well out to sea with chances of 
being attacked growing less all the while. 

On her trip previous the same thing had 
happened to this vessel, only their opponent 
was a little more persistent than ours had been. 
The U-boat fired fifty-four shots at her. 

When three days at sea a fire broke out in 
one of the holds and spread to the dynamo 
room. All hands turned out to fight the flames, 
and, considering that they were coming out of 
the upper deck hatches for a while, things 
looked pretty bad. But at last, with good work 
on the part of the crew, it was under control. 
It is not very easy to sleep on a boat in mid- 
ocean when you know that a fire is smoulder- 
ing and likely to break through and spread at 
any moment. 



Homeward Bound 243 



Four days later we fell in with the Ameri- 
can patrol and the sight of two American war- 
ships was at once a comfort and a delight. 

The only disappointment in store for us was 
our failure to arrive at New York early 
enough to get up the river and land. We 
missed it by half an hour and had to lie in the 
Narrows in sight of home all night long! 
Rotten luck. However, bad luck is sometimes 
good luck, for next morning as we came on 
deck there was the Statue of Liberty! I had 
seen it hundreds of times but never as I saw 
it that beautiful morning. And then, an hour 
later, wasn't it fine to scramble up the gang- 
plank to see who would be first to put foot on 
good old American soil! Home again — home 
again. 

What a wonderful feeling ! 



Of all the charming books that may 

come forth this year, none will be 

more welcome than 

GEORGINA'S 
SERVICE STARS 

By Annie Fellows Johnston 

TO BE PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 1st 

In it will be found a new story of beloved 
Georgina whose Rainbow adventures led into her 
tenth year. Now she is older — sweet sixteen, if 
you please — and Richard, her playmate of child- 
hood days, is a grown man of seventeen — and as 
devoted as ever. Of course he got into the great 
war enough to give Georgina a second star to her 
service flag ; her father, being a famous surgeon, 
his star is rightfully at the top. But watch out 
for Richard! (Beautifully illustrated. $1.35 net.) 
AS USUAL — FOR ALL THE FAMILY 



GEORGINA of the 

RAINBOWS 

Now selling in beautiful popular edition, 60 cts. 



Britten Publishing Company New York 



He has written another one 

—and it is as good as his famous book 
"Laugh and Live" 

MAKING LIFE 
WORTH WHILE 

— ^that the title of Douglas Fairbanks' 
new book to be published in early autumn 

It is written in his own inimitable style — another 
book of inspiration for people of all ages and 
either sex — a new vein of optimistic cheer for us 
mortals of a war-worn world — another message 
from the man who knows how to keep himself 
happy and well, and who is willing to pass his 
recipe on to others. 

His hook makes for Success 
Everybody will want it 

i2mo. — Beautifully Illustrated with 

1 6 New Photographic Duotones 

Cloth, $i.oo Khaki, $i.oo 

Leather, $2.00 Ooze, $2.50 

To be published September i 

Britten Publishing Company New York 



Over the Seas for Uncle Sam 

By ELAINE STERNE, 
Author of "The Road of Ambition" 

Miss Sterne is Senior Lieutenant of the Navy 
League Honor Guard, which has charge of enter- 
tainment and visitation in behalf of sick and 
wounded sailors sent home for hospital treatment. 
Their experiences, such as may be published at 
this time, now appear in book form. This book 
brings out many thrilling adventures that have 
occurred in the war zone of the high seas — and 
has official sanction. Miss Sterne's descriptive 
powers are equaled by few. She has the dramatic 
touch which compels interest. Her book, which 
contains many photographic scenes, will be 
warmly welcomed in navy circles, and particu- 
larly by those in active service. 
Cloth Illuminated Jacket $1.35 Net 

Ambulancing-tlTe French Front 

By EDWARD P. COYLE 

Here is a collection of intensely interesting episodes 
related by a Young American who served as a volunteer 
with the French Army — Red Cross Division. His book 
is to the field of mercy what those of Empey, Holmes 
and Peat have been in describing the vicissitudes of 
army life. The author spent ten months in ambulance 
work on the Verdun firing line. What he saw and did 
is recounted with most graphic clearness. This book 
contains many illustrations photographed on the spot 
showing with vivid exactitude the terrors of rescue 
work under the fire of the big guns. 

Cloth 16 Full page Illustrations $1.35 Net 
Britton Publishing Company New York 



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